Police officer lied in statement to cover co-worker car crash UK News

A police officer who lied in a police statement to cover up a colleague’s car accident has been convicted.

Donna Coker, 34, made a false statement after her PC colleague Varinder Sehmi was involved in an accident at Uxbridge Road in Ealing on August 6, 2017 at around 7:35 a.m.

The accident had left the civilian driver with serious injuries, including multiple fractures.

In her statement, Coker claimed the driver of the car looked drunk and that she discussed it with her other colleagues securing the scene at the time.

CCTV evidence, however, showed that she did not approach the driver as she claimed.

After sending the false statement to his manager a few months later, Coker also passed it on to Sehmi himself, saying, “FYI, my statement is over. Hope this helps. ”

Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court which ended today (June 21), Coker was convicted on one count of perversion by the court.

Paul Goddard of the CPS said: “This was a deliberate attempt to thwart a police investigation into a car accident by a policeman on duty.

“PC Donna Coker tried to help her colleague by blaming the collision on an injured civilian driver. Coker’s actions were dishonest and were carried out with the aim of casting inaccurate libel on the other driver.

“The prosecution was able to present video evidence, including footage worn on the body of PC Coker, which clearly showed that she had barely engaged with the civilian driver – and therefore lied when claiming in her statement that ‘she had watched him closely, and formed the opinion that he was drunk. The victim also testified at the trial, describing the after-effects of the accident that left him trapped inside his car and requiring hospital treatment.

“The CPS will always aim to prosecute those who break the law, no matter who they are. ”

Sehmi had previously been sentenced to nine months in jail and an 18-month suspended sentence in a separate trial after being convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Coker will be sentenced on July 19 of this year.