Get you up to speed: Former Met officer ‘forged sick notes to take 200 days off work’ | News UK
Former WTXpolitan Police employee Natasha Fountain submitted fraudulent sick notes, costing the force nearly £20,000 over a two-year period, with sentencing scheduled for April 20.
District Judge Briony Clarke postponed sentencing for Natasha Fountain, citing the need to further investigate her health issues during the period of her fraudulent sick leave.
Fountain, given unconditional bail, will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 20 for her fraudulent claims costing nearly £20,000.
What we know so far
A former WTXpolitan Police employee, Natasha Fountain, has admitted to committing fraud by misrepresentation after using fake sick notes to claim nearly 200 days off work, costing the police force approximately £19,000. The court was informed that this fraudulent activity spanned almost two years.
Fountain submitted her first sick note legitimately, but subsequently forged several others between November 2022 and May 2024. Prosecutor Fahmida Azad reported that there was “no record” of medical appointments during this period, and a change of address for her GP was not reflected in the documents she provided.
District judge Briony Clarke classified Fountain’s actions as “quite sophisticated,” noting that they extended beyond mere deception to include active forgery. Sentencing has been delayed for further investigation into Fountain’s physical and mental health issues, with the judge emphasising the need to explore any genuine medical ailments at the time. Fountain remains on unconditional bail and is scheduled to be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 20.
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Ex-Met police officer ‘faked sick notes to claim 200 days off work’ | News UK
A former WTXpolitan Police employee used fake sick notes to claim 200 days off work, costing the police force nearly £20,000, a court heard.
Fountain, of Union Road, Portsmouth, submitted fraudulent sick notes to her line manager for a period of just under two years, costing the Met Police around £19,000, the court was told.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Fountain worked as a communications and engagement officer for the Met from June 2022 until August 2024.
While the first sick note Fountain submitted to her work was genuine, the court heard she later forged several notes between November 4, 2022 and May 3, 2024, which resulted in her taking around 200 sick days.
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Prosecutor Fahmida Azad said there was ‘no record’ of any appointments between Fountain and her GP practice between the dates in question.
The court heard the practice had also moved address during this time, a change which was not reflected in the correspondence the defendant claimed to be from her doctor.
The court heard that Fountain faced physical and mental health issues, including severe anxiety, which prevented her from returning to her GP to receive ongoing treatment and genuine sick notes.
District judge Briony Clarke described Fountain’s crime as ‘quite sophisticated’.
She noted that the defendant went beyond ‘just lying’ by actively forging the notes.
Delaying sentencing for further details to be gathered about Fountain’s health at the time of offending, the judge said: ‘There should be a deeper exploration of her issues and to what extent any genuine medical ailments were going on at the time.
‘If there are, or were, genuine health issues that may have meant she was unfit to work at that time, (the defence) may well wish to explore that.’
Fountain, who was given unconditional bail, will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 20.