Shamed WPC in Crash Insurance Scam Escapes Jail

A POLICE woman who tried to pull off an elaborate car insurance scam has narrowly avoided a jail sentence.

Linzi Sherry badly damaged her uninsured sports car after crashing in a field in January this year.

But instead of reporting the accident, she drove to her fathers nearby farm and hid the vehicle under a tarpaulin.

A week later, she took out cover on the car with insurance firm Diamond. She then waited for almost two months before again contacting the firm to make a claim.

The 25-year-old, from Invergowrie near Dundee, alleged the accident had happened the previous day and fraudulently received repair costs of Pounds 5,658 from the insurer.

Sherry, who has since quit Tayside Police in disgrace, admitted the deception at an earlier hearing at Perth Sheriff Court.

Appearing for sentence yesterday, Sherry, who had once fronted a police anti-litter campaign, was told she had let down her colleagues and had only narrowly avoided jail.

Sentencing her to 220 hours community service, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: Persons in your position have the burden of expectation of certain standards of behaviour. It comes with the territory.

The fact is that if someone in such a position strays, it doesnt simply reflect on the individual but on all members of that group.

Everyone gets tarred by the same brush and that is a serious matter.

The court heard how Sherry lost control of the car on the A977 Kinross to Kincardine road on January 16 this year and crashed into a field.

She decided to drive to her fathers home at nearby Forrestmill, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, and conceal the damaged car on his land.

A week later she took out insurance with Diamond. She then waited until March 6, before making a claim.

Sherry also involved her policeman boyfriend, PC Mark McLuckie, in the scam by asking him to present the fraudulently obtained insurance documents to Tayside Police on her behalf. He has also quit the force since the fraud came to light.

The court heard that the scam was only discovered after a family feud led to one of Sherrys relatives reporting it to police.

Solicitor John McDonald, defending, said his client had simply forgotten to renew her insurance after a direct debit payment was rejected.

He added: The outcome is shes sitting here today with no job and is very ashamed of herself. She has let herself and her colleagues d o w n . Sheisdeeply remorseful. She has already paid a huge penalty.

Sherry was also banned from driving for four months and ordered to pay Pounds 5,000 compensation.

She resigned from Tayside Police in disgrace and McLuckie was asked to leave, according to a force spokesman.

The spokesman added: As neither of them are serving police officers any more, it would be inappropriate for the force to comment further.

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