A former South Wales Police officer has received a suspended prison sentence after falsely claiming she was driving a vehicle involved in a speeding offence, when in fact it was her brother behind the wheel.
The deception came to light after Sanna Khan, 31, failed to attend a speed awareness course and subsequently reported the matter to her superiors. The course had been offered as an alternative to prosecution following a speeding incident on the M5 in the West Midlands on 8 March 2023, when a Toyota Land Cruiser was recorded travelling at 68mph in a 60mph zone. A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday was told that Khan could not have been driving at the time of the offence, as she was on duty at Cardiff Bay police station.
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Prosecutor Hannah Friedman explained that Khan’s brother initially received the notice of intended prosecution and replied on 31 March stating he was not the driver. He provided his sister’s contact details, after which Khan completed the form, falsely identifying herself as the driver.
Khan elected to take a speed awareness course but failed to book a place within the four-month deadline. In October 2023, she was summoned to attend Worcester Magistrates’ Court. After informing her police superiors, she was referred to South Wales Police’s internal professional standards department.
An internal investigation confirmed that Khan had been working a shift at the time of the offence and could not have been driving. She was arrested and, during interview, admitted her actions had been misleading. She told officers: “I knew it was wrong and shouldn’t have done that. I knew instantly it was misleading.”
Khan, of Roundwood Close in Penylan, Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. The court heard she was previously of good character. Defence barrister Susan Ferrier told the court that Khan had enjoyed a “promising career” with the police, which she was forced to give up following her conviction. “As a result of her one bad decision, she has ruined all of that for herself,” Ms Ferrier said.
The court was told that Khan had been planning her wedding and assisting with the family business, occasionally driving the Toyota Land Cruiser. However, she failed to verify whether she had been driving on the day in question.
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Sentencing her, Judge Daniel Williams said: “This is in many respects a sad case — you were a hardworking and diligent police officer, a career lost to you following your resignation.” Khan was sentenced to 27 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 15 months. She was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,630 in costs.
