A former Metropolitan Police employee used fake sick notes to claim around 200 days off work costing the UK's biggest police force nearly £20,000, a court heard.
Natasha Fountain, 29, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday by video link, where she admitted committing fraud by misrepresentation.
Fountain, of Union Road, Portsmouth, submitted fraudulent sick notes to her line manager for a period of just under two years, costing the Met Police around £19,000, the court was told.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Fountain worked as communications and engagement officer for the Met from June 2022 until August 2024.
While the first sick note Fountain submitted to her work was genuine, the court heard she later forged several notes between November 4 2022 and May 3 2024, which resulted in her taking around 200 sick days.
Prosecutor Fahmida Azad said there was "no record" of any appointments between Fountain and her GP practice between the dates in question.
The court heard the practice had also moved address during this time, a change which was not reflected in the correspondence the defendant claimed to be from her doctor.
The court heard that Fountain faced physical and mental health issues, including severe anxiety which prevented her from returning to her GP to receive ongoing treatment and genuine sick notes.
District judge Briony Clarke described Fountain's crime as "quite sophisticated", noting that the defendant went beyond "just lying" by actively forging the notes.
Delaying sentencing for further details to be gathered about Fountain's health at the time of offending, the judge said: "There should be a deeper exploration of her issues and to what extent there were any genuine medical ailments going on at the time."
She said: "If there are, or were, genuine health issues that may have meant she was unfit to work at that time, (the defence) may well wish to explore that."
Fountain, who was given unconditional bail, will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 20.
