Top Cabinet Minister pleaded guilty to fraud after falsely reporting phone theft

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh admitted to misleading constabulary successful 2014 aft she wrongly told officers her enactment telephone had been snatched during a mugging successful London successful 2013

A Cabinet Minister pleaded blameworthy to fraud aft falsely reporting that her telephone was stolen during a traumatic mugging implicit a decennary ago.

Louise Haigh admitted to fraud by mendacious practice successful 2014 aft she told constabulary that her enactment telephone had been snatched during a "terrifying" incidental successful London successful 2013. The Transport Secretary gave constabulary a database of what she thought had been stolen, including a telephone issued by her past employer, security elephantine Aviva.

But aboriginal she discovered the enactment telephone successful her location and switched it on. Ms Haigh said she regretted remaining soundless connected the proposal of a solicitor erstwhile constabulary interviewed her aft detecting the telephone had been switched on.

In a connection tonight, Ms Haigh said: “In 2013 I was mugged portion connected a nighttime out. I was a young pistillate and the acquisition was terrifying. I reported it to the constabulary and gave them a database of what I believed had been taken - including a enactment mobile telephone that had been issued by my employer.

"Some clip aboriginal I discovered that the mobile successful question had not been taken. In the interim I had been issued with different enactment phone. The archetypal enactment instrumentality being switched connected triggered constabulary attraction and I was asked to travel successful for questioning.

"My solicitor advised maine not to remark during that interrogation and I regret pursuing that advice. The constabulary referred the substance to the CPS and I appeared earlier Southwark magistrates.

"Under the proposal of my solicitor I pleaded blameworthy - contempt the information this was a genuine mistake from which I did not marque immoderate gain. The magistrates accepted each of these arguments and gave maine the lowest imaginable result (a discharge) available.”

It is understood that she informed Keir Starmer astir the condemnation - which is present spent - connected being appointed to the Shadow Cabinet successful 2020. Ms Haigh was elected arsenic MP for Sheffield Heeley successful 2015, and had antecedently worked astatine Aviva arsenic a nationalist argumentation manager.

Nigel Huddleston, Chairman of the Conservative Party, said: "These are highly concerning revelations astir the idiosyncratic liable for managing £30bn of taxpayers' money. Keir Starmer has superior questions to reply regarding what helium knew and erstwhile astir the idiosyncratic helium appointed arsenic Transport Secretary admitting to having misled the police."

Aviva declined to comment.