Southsea trauma counsellor dodges jail over fake invoices and AA reports to avoid parking fines

A Southsea trauma counsellor dodged jail after she was exposed for creating fake invoices and altering AA breakdown reports in an attempt to avoid paying six parking fines.

Sarah Janes, 52, pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court to six offences of fraud and six offences of forgery after submitting forged documents to support appeals against Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued by Portsmouth City Council.

The court heard that between August and December 2024 Janes received six parking tickets after her Toyota was repeatedly found parked illegally in residential permit zones, on double yellow lines and in limited waiting bays.

Offences were carried out in Frensham Road, where one of her properties was being renovated, and in roads close to her main address in Southsea where she lived.

Rather than paying the fines, Janes appealed each notice claiming emergencies such as water leaks, flooding and vehicle breakdowns. To support these claims, she submitted six forged documents, including fabricated plumbing invoices and altered AA breakdown reports.

In her first appeal, Janes claimed she was “urgently entering my property” due to a water leak uncovered during renovation works. She then added: “Given the urgency of the situation and as the property owner I had to attend immediately.”

On another occasion when parked on double yellow lines in Kirkstall Road, Southsea, she said in her appeal: “I had a flat battery and couldn’t move it. I was waiting for the AA.”

Another time when parked in a limited wait parking bay in Malvern Road, she said in her appeal: “I experienced an issue with my car battery…despite recent checks indicating no fault. Unfortunately this left me unable to move the vehicle until it could be recharged.

“I've attached evidence of recent assessments from the AA confirming ongoing concerns.”

Initially, several of the appeals were accepted, resulting in the cancellation of the parking penalties.

However, the pattern of appeals led to a probe by senior criminal investigator Stephen Goodall, who found that two plumbing invoices submitted by Janes had been forged using the details of genuine heating engineer Robert O'Connor.

Mr O'Connor confirmed that neither invoice had been issued by him and that one had been created by altering a genuine invoice number before replacing the work description, dates and payment details with false information.

Investigators also contacted the AA, which confirmed that none of the breakdown reports submitted in support of the appeals had been issued on the dates claimed.

Although the AA had attended Janes' vehicle twice during the relevant period, neither visit coincided with any of the parking offences.

During a recorded interview under caution in May 2025, Janes admitted creating the fake documents.

She told investigators that mounting financial pressure connected with a £190,000 bridging loan taken out to renovate a property had contributed to her actions.

Janes, who previously worked as a graphic designer before becoming an anxiety, trauma and relationship counsellor in 2017, admitted using her design skills to alter invoices and breakdown reports.

She acknowledged inventing emergency plumbing call-outs, fabricating vehicle breakdowns and editing genuine documents to support false representations.

Asked to explain why, after three successful appeals using fraudulent AA reports, she went back to using a plumber's invoice, Janes said: "Well there's only so many times a battery can be flat."

When questioned about one forged plumbing invoice, she admitted there had been no leak and no emergency plumber had attended, stating she had fabricated the evidence "to avoid any more bills”.

She also admitted using ChatGPT to help create one of the false invoices before adding a genuine company's branding and other fabricated details herself.

The court heard the offending was not an isolated incident but a sustained course of dishonest conduct over five months involving repeated attempts to deceive the authority for personal financial gain.

The court heard that each appeal represented a deliberate attempt to cause financial loss to Portsmouth City Council while avoiding payment of legitimately issued parking penalties.

Sentencing Janes, the presiding magistrate said that, but for her early guilty pleas, a custodial sentence of 26 weeks would have been imposed.

Instead, she was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to pay financial penalties totalling £1,500.

Portsmouth City Council said it investigates suspected fraudulent appeals to protect public funds and ensure enforcement processes remain fair for all motorists.

A council statement read out in court said: “(Janes) knowingly attempted to defraud the authority and tax payer, and regardless of the amount, her end goal was one of personal financial benefit. Fraudulent activity of any kind against the authority is widespread, and we have a duty to protect the authority, our residents and tax payers money.

“Her behaviour falls well short of that expected by our residents and service users, she has a good understanding of the law, and yet despite this was willing to go to incredible lengths to deceive Portsmouth City Council and its officers.”