Former Staffordshire Pc jailed over court mortgage lie

Jamie Sargent, aged 32, convinced a court a mortgage application with partner Natalie Barlow was progressing by inventing a mortgage broker using Staffordshire Police computer systems.

The couple were attempting to buy Ms Barlow's matrimonial home in which her ex-husband still had a share.

But because of his poor finances, Sargent, a Pc based in Tamworth at the time, was refused a mortgage by lenders.

With Ms Barlow's ex pushing for a sale, Sargent invented the broker in order to stop the forced sale of the home.

Birmingham Crown Court heard on Tuesday how his web of lies convinced a county court judge to delay the sale last July.

Even Ms Barlow, who has stood by Sargent, was duped by the disgraced officer.

When his lies were revealed last October he admitted what he had done, pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Jailing Sargent, of Edmonton Close, Birmingham, for six months, Recorder John Edwards told him; "Given your post it must be an ignominious experience to be in the dock of a crown court.

"Clearly from what I have read and heard you didn't have a grip on your finances, you never confronted the responsibility and buried your head in the sand.

"As a result you resorted to deceit and attempted to keep yourself afloat, buying time where it didn't exist.

"You used your position as a police officer to further your application, solicitors and a district judge acted one he deceit.

"You abused your position of trust and I'm afraid it must be marked with an immediate prison sentence."

Paul Spratt, prosecuting, said Sargent was juggling 27 financial institutions because of his 'parlous' situation.

He resorted to lies when his mortgage application with Miss Barlow was refused in July 2013.

Mr Spratt said; "He created a web of deceit and used his professional capacity to do that.

"He failed to declare he had a county court judgment against him, his finances were in a parlous state.

"He failed to tell Ms Barlow a mortgage was not open to them and lied to her over a significant period of time, telling her all was well with the Nottingham Building Society.

"The situation snowballed and it was plain there was to be no mortgage.

"He created the false identity of the mortgage broker and used that to convince solicitors all was well.

"He used the police computer equipment to create the false ID and continued to communicate in that false ID."

With the sale of Ms Barlow's matrimonial home not proceeding her ex-husband began court action to force the sale.

But Sargent's lies convinced a county court judge to delay the sale in July 2014.

When the deal still failed to go ahead, Sargent's lies unravelled and he was arrested, admitting what he had done.

The delays, the court heard, had led to legal bills of over £4,000 for Ms Barlow's ex-husband.

Mark Kelly, defending, said: "What he was seeking to achieve had little chance of success.

"It is almost surreal, a bit bizarre but not malicious or to make a financial gain but to cause a delay out of desperation."

Mr Kelly added Ms Barlow had stood by Sargent and the couple now had a young child together.