Ex-WPC unmasked as cancer liar faces new probe

Rachel Hewitt, 39, was due to be sentenced at Hull Crown Court yesterday after admitting fraud and misconduct in a public office, but instead Judge Simon Jack ordered a police inquiry into the references because they were in such stark contrast to her offences.

He said he also wanted police to investigate information Hewitt supplied to the author of her pre-sentence report.

Speaking to Hewitt’s barrister, Heidi Cotton, about the references, the judge said: “The picture they present is completely at odds with the offences your client has committed. Since your client is a convincing and practised liar, I find it difficult to take it on face value.”

Hewitt heard she may face a further charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice if it transpired that the references were not genuine. The maximum sentence for that offence is life imprisonment.

Miss Cotton said: “This defendant does not wish to place any excuses before the court for her behaviour.”

The judge also invited Miss Cotton to say whether she wanted him to order a psychiatric report, saying: “Your client may have psychiatric difficulties arising from events in her past and it occurred to me that might be worth investigating.”

Miss Cotton declined this after conferring with Hewitt.

The former North Yorkshire Police officer, who wore glasses, a black trouser suit and her hair tied back in a pony tail, did not speak during the short hearing. She was granted bail and declined to comment as she left court.

Legal commentators described the investigation into the character references as “very unusual”.

Bill Waddington, director of Williamsons Solicitors in Hull, said: “I’ve certainly never come across it and I can’t recall ever hearing about it before.

“There are a number of possibilities. She could have just invented the character references and said here’s one from the chief constable on his letter-headed paper when he hasn’t written it all, or it could be it’s from people she knows where she’s spoken to them and said can I have a character reference but not said to them what it’s for, that I’m at court for serious offences.”

Hewitt, of Ash Grove, South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, admitted the fraud and misconduct charges when she appeared at the same court last month.

The charges related to a period between January 1, 2009, and October 10 last year when she was working for the North Yorkshire force.

She claimed her daughter was seriously ill with a form of cancer and she needed time off work because she needed chemotherapy and an operation to remove a tumour.

Hewitt denied a further charge of fraud relating to a request for a career break to look after her daughter, which the Crown agreed it would not proceed with.

Prosecutor Simon Batiste said this charge would be left on file.

Hewitt resigned from her post with North Yorkshire Police when the offences came to light, the force said.

The case was adjourned and she will now be sentenced when she appears at the same court on Friday, July 6.

The former police officer potentially faces a lengthy spell behind bars – the maximum sentence for misconduct in a public office is life imprisonment, while the maximum for fraud is 10 years.

Judge Jack said he would preside at the rescheduled sentencing hearing.