Hailsham police detective cheated on council tax for 10 years

A detective based in Hailsham has been found guilty of benefit fraud.

Detective constable Karen Colbran, 52, appeared at Lewes Crown Court last week (Wednesday, February 9).

The court heard she swindled more than £3,000 in reductions over 10 years by telling the council she lived alone despite her partner Paul McCloud, 55, living with her the whole time.

Colbran applied for a backdated single person discount on her council tax in 2008 and kept on claiming for 10 years – receiving a total of £3,255.27 in discounted bills, the court heard.

Gemma White for the Crown said, “Throughout that period, she was representing something to the local authority which she knew was false, misleading and untrue and was, therefore, effectively dishonest.”

Colbran filled in police vetting forms declaring Mr McCloud had lived with her at her home address in Hailsham since 2007, the court heard.

Colbran told the court she thought council tax fraud was a civil matter despite being interviewed under caution.

She said, “I just thought I had forgotten to tell them. I know I’m a serving police officer. I thought council tax would be civil. I didn’t realise it was going to come as far as this.”

Colbran was described by colleagues as ‘bold, professional and tenacious’ and looked shocked when the jury took less than half an hour to convict her of council tax fraud. She sobbed as the court heard the guilty verdict.

Colbran has been with Sussex Police for 24 years and has been a detective for 18 years investigating serious and complex crimes in the Criminal Investigation Department, the court heard.

She will be sentenced next month.