Peterborough man guilty of pretending to be police officer by flashing blue lights and pulling over lone female

A fake cop fitted blue lights to his car and pulled a woman over in a country lane.

Chris Green, of Nero Place, Peterborough pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer days after his arrest in May 2023 - but later changed his plea to not guilty.

A trial took place at Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday (Thursday, 9 May), where he was convicted of the offence and could face a spell behind bars.

Tom Power, prosecuting, said the defendant was driving a Ford Fiesta at approximately 30mph in a 60mph zone when a woman driver 'felt uneasy' and overtook him.

Moments later, Green overtook the woman with blue lights illuminated in his vehicle.

Believing that she was being stopped by the police, she pulled into Longsplatt, in Box, Wiltshire.

Green exited his vehicle and confronted her at the window of her car - telling her that she was driving dangerously.

During the incident on 6 May last year, she asked where he was from and he replied with words to the effect of: "I work for law enforcement, a local undercover crime unit The Brotherhood".

He proceeded to walk around the vehicle, looking around it.

When he noticed that her child was also in the car, he was said to change his tone and immediately drove away.

The victim said the stop felt "bizarre and weird" and said she "felt uncomfortable" throughout the interaction.

The incident was reported to the police after she informed her husband.

Police officers remained on the lookout for the suspect car, and by luck located it in the Chippenham area two days later - on Monday (8 May 2023).

When Green was stopped, officers found the blue flashing dash light within his vehicle.

They also located a baseball bat and handcuffs.

The defendant, a security guard who was working at the Badminton Horse Trials, denied that he had intentionally caused the woman to think he was a police officer.

However, magistrates found him guilty of the offence after an hour of deliberations.

Green was released on unconditional bail and will return for sentencing in June.