Ex-PCSO and husband jailed over car theft scam

A former West Yorkshire Police community support officer and her husband have been jailed for falsely claiming their car had been stolen.

Fiona and Darren Price told police their Range Rover had been taken from a lay-by while they were out for a walk and lodged a bogus insurance claim.

However, Mr Price had arranged for an associate to "dispose" of the car.

They were jailed at Bradford Crown Court for three months after admitting perverting the course of justice.

The court heard the vehicle had become a "burden" for the couple after they were told in August 2022 it required repair work costing an estimated £2,000.

After Mr Price, 37, arranged for the vehicle to be taken away, Mrs Price, 33, waited two weeks before submitting a false report to North Yorkshire Police that it had been stolen in the Burnsall area.

Two weeks later, she also submitted an insurance claim for the vehicle and gave the company the same story.

When suspicions were raised about the alleged theft, a police investigation found automatic number plate recognition and phone cell-site evidence revealing that the couple had travelled to Burnsall in a relative's Renault Clio.

When they were initially arrested they criticised the police officers investigating their report and accused them of causing the couple embarrassment and stress, the court heard.

However, in July, both pleaded guilty to the scam.

For Mrs Price, Glenn Parsons told the court the couple had suffered a "catastrophic breakdown" in their thinking.

He said his client, who had been training to become a detective constable, had faced disgrace, adding: "The career she held so dear is in tatters".

Passing sentence on the pair, from West Ardsley, Wakefield, Recorder Alex Menary: "This was calculated and planned offending. It was not spur of the moment. It was an attempt to defraud your insurer.

"This case cries out for a deterrent sentence in my judgement. As an act of mercy I reduce the sentences to three months. They will be served immediately."

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