Bride-to-be spared jail for framing her ex-boyfriend’s sister for her own driving offences after judge takes pity for the sake of her children declaring ‘being without a mother is a terrible thing’

• Katie Loughnane, 30, was pulled over by police for having no insurance
• The mum-of-three from Wrexham falsely gave police Sophie Davies’s details 
• Emerged Loughnane had taken out an insurance policy in Miss Davies’s name
• The policy had expired when Loughnane was pulled over in her Audi A3
• Miss Davies noticed the penalty 10 months later when she checked online
• She had to appear before JPs twice before PC confirmed it was not herdrivin

A bride-to-be framed her ex-boyfriend’s sister for driving offences and landed her with a fine and six penalty points on her licence after falsely giving her name when she was pulled over by police.

Katie Loughnane, 30, had a previous conviction for drink driving and having no licence from 2019 had taken out a motor insurance policy in Sophie Davies’s name, the court heard. She was pulled over by police after it expired.

The mum-of-three from Wrexham escaped jail after a judge said it would be a ‘terrible thing’ if her youngest child was to be without their mother at Christmas.

She pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to making a false statement to obtain insurance and perverting the course of public justice.

Pictured: Katie Loughnane, 30, pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to making a false statement to obtain insurance and perverting the course of public justice

She was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with a requirement that she attends 15 days of rehabilitation activity with the probation service. 

Miss Davies had her licence endorsed and was convicted of having no car insurance in her absence at a local magistrates court.

She only realised she had been penalised ten months later, when she carried out checks on her driving licence online and noticed the points had been added without her knowledge. 

The wrongful conviction meant Miss Davies had to apply for the case to be reopened and then twice had to appear before JPs (Justices of the Peace) before the PC who pulled over Loughnane confirmed it was not Miss Davies at the wheel.

It was not disclosed why Loughnane gave a false name on the car insurance details for the Audi.

In a statement Miss Davies said: ‘I’ve always been nice to her and I wonder why she has done this.’

Judge Simon Berkson said Loughnane was ‘the sole carer’ of her children and they would be without their mother if she went to prison. 

The judge told her: ‘This was serious offending and the court has been balancing whether to send you to immediate custody or whether to suspend that sentence.

‘You told a lie to get yourself out of trouble, perhaps forgetting you would be getting someone else into trouble. 

‘She ended up with a fine and getting points on her licence which she did not deserve. She had to go to court on two occasions to undo what you did.

‘I have to sentence you for a stupid and unsophisticated lie which went beyond that, which you could have imagined. 

‘Perhaps you now regret what happened. It had a marked effect on the victim of your crime. She wonders why you picked on her and you have never had any trouble with her in your life. She is now really worried about things.

Pictured: Katie Loughnane framed her ex-boyfriend’s sister for motoring offences and landed her with a fine and six penalty points on her driving licence

‘But you have three young children, the youngest is two years old. You are the sole carer. If you were sent to prison, your children would be without their mother. For the youngest being without a mother is a terrible thing.

‘You know now that if you commit another crime you would put your children in jeopardy. Please work with the people trying to assist you in your life.’

Michael Whitty, counsel for the prosecution, said: ‘The initial false insurance application was made on 8 October 2020 when the defendant provided details of Sophie Davies, that being the sister of her ex-boyfriend, to obtain a false certificate of insurance.

‘In August of 2021, the defendant was stopped in an Audi on Whitchurch Road in Chester by Constable Harrop as the vehicle was showing as having no insurance.

‘Again the defendant provided details of Sophie Davies. She purported to provide emails confirming the policy of insurance. Further enquiries revealed that the policy was not in place. It had been cancelled in July.

‘The vehicle was seized and a traffic report was completed. 

‘In her absence, Sophie Davies was convicted of using a vehicle without insurance on 7 January 2022 and she was fined, and six points were applied to her licence.

‘That went unnoticed until October 2022 when Miss Davies checked her driving licence online. She was surprised to find six points for the offence of having no insurance and she embarked on the process of trying to unravel what happened.

‘She contacted the court and was told that she was convicted of driving a vehicle with no insurance. 

‘Miss Davies was given the details of the vehicle and knew then that it was the defendant. She knew because of the relationship that had been in place between her brother and the defendant and that it was the defendant’s car.

‘In order to put it right, Miss Davies had to attend Wrexham Magistrates’ Court in the December to make the first step in the process of undoing the conviction and ultimately, it was undone. 

‘But the matter was then brought back to Chester Magistrates Court in April with the Crown offering no evidence in the case of Sophie Davies for using a vehicle with no insurance in August.

‘PC Harrop had met Sophie Davies and confirmed that she was not the one he had stopped. 

‘It was confirmed that the defendant was the driver and she was arrested. She gave a ‘No comment’ interview.

‘Sophie Davies talked about being left feeling intimidated and vulnerable and nervous during the investigation. 

‘She was plainly concerned that there may be repercussions for reporting the matter to the police. 

‘She described the stressful situation, requiring to take time off work to go to court to prove her innocence, and it having an impact on her mental health. She also sought professional help.

‘She was afraid she was not going to be able to prove her innocence. She is concerned about the ramifications such as debt letters or loans or financial commitments that are not truly hers. 

‘Miss Davies also talks about having concerns that this is not only the only time her details have been used. This has left her with a number of unanswered questions.’

Loughnane had a previous conviction from September 2019 for driving with excess alcohol, having no insurance, and driving without a proper licence, when she was fined and disqualified from driving.

Her counsel John Wyn Williams said: ‘It was a stupid and unsophisticated lie and has led to someone being at risk of being convicted of a serious criminal offence. That is why the courts normally, in these circumstances, are forced to pass immediate custodial sentences.

‘But I hope on behalf of the defendant to persuade the court in her circumstances it can be suspended. 

‘She is a mother doing her best to look after three very young children. There has been a long time since the offence and there has been no further offending. There has been no retribution as far as Miss Davies is concerned.’

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