Former Detective Sergeant Imprisoned for Family Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
A disgraced police detective who orchestrated a plot with her two children to delay her drunk son's arrest following a serious collision with an ambulance has been sentenced to prison. Michelle Sanna, 51, a detective sergeant with 29 years of service, was jailed for 15 months after admitting conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The Crash and Immediate Aftermath
In the early hours of March 5, 2022, Macauley Sanna, then 18, was driving with his girlfriend as a passenger in Paddock Wood, Kent, after consuming beer and spirits. He lost control on a country lane around 1.30am, crashing head-on into an ambulance. The collision caused head, neck, back, hand, and knee injuries to the ambulance crew members.
Macauley, who later suffered a fractured spine vertebra, fled the scene on foot, leaving his girlfriend behind. He immediately began contacting his mother, Michelle, and sister, Mollie, then 19, seeking their assistance to avoid police detection.
The Coordinated Deception
Within 20 minutes of the crash, both Michelle and Mollie were aware of the situation and began working together to delay Macauley's arrest. Their primary objective was to prevent him from undergoing alcohol testing, which would have likely resulted in drink-driving charges.
When Kent Police officers arrived at the family home in Five Oak Green, Tonbridge, approximately an hour after the collision, Michelle attempted to stop them from entering by feigning sleep and responding slowly. She claimed not to know her son's whereabouts, suggesting he might have gone to see friends. Both women switched off their phones for several hours to avoid detection.
Extended Evasion Tactics
The court heard that police effectively launched a manhunt for Macauley, but the family's coordinated efforts kept him hidden for 16 hours. When officers asked Michelle to call her son, she claimed her phone was out of charge. Later that day, she told police she was 'frantically' searching for him.
Macauley was eventually found at the family home, where his girlfriend discovered him in bed 'moaning about his back' when she went to collect her belongings at 10am. When she confronted him for leaving her at the crash scene, he responded by asking if she wanted him to go to prison for drink-driving.
Father's Intervention and Arrest
Macauley was finally arrested at 5.45pm at Pembury Hospital after being taken there by his father, Mark Sanna, a serving Metropolitan Police officer. Kent Police had contacted Mark Sanna at 1.15pm about his son's whereabouts, prompting him to call both the teenager and his ex-wife.
Michelle arranged a rendezvous at Chipstead Sailing Club car park, telling Mark Sanna: 'That way there is no way you can be connected to this or get into trouble. May be risky coming to the house.' Mark Sanna kept both Kent Police and his superior officer updated throughout, stating that despite 'great anguish,' his job required him to 'do the right thing.'
Continuing Deceit and Investigation
The family's deception continued even after the arrest. When interviewed about the crash, Macauley gave a prepared statement that 'almost mirrored' details from a Snapchat message sent by his mother. The statement made no mention of alcohol, described the road as wet from rain, and claimed he panicked and was disoriented after the collision.
Two months later, police were told Macauley's phone had been damaged or lost in the accident, but the device was subsequently found in a wardrobe at the family home. While all three defendants' phones were seized, only Mollie provided her PIN for analysis. However, police gathered evidence through cell site and network data showing contact between the three during the crucial period.
Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
At their sentencing hearing on April 8 at Maidstone Crown Court, all three defendants admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Judge Daniel Stevenson told Michelle Sanna she had 'played a leading role in the conspiracy' that she 'could have ended before it began.' He noted she had 'influenced' her children, 'coordinated' their actions, and used her 'knowledge and experience' of collision investigations to avoid detection.
'You were in a position of significant responsibility as a police officer and as a mother,' Judge Stevenson said. 'You could have ended it there and then, told police where Macauley was, told him to give himself up and warned him and your daughter that by trying to delay his apprehension you were committing a far more serious offence than drink-driving.'
Defence Arguments and Mitigation
Defence barristers urged the court to spare all three defendants immediate custody. Lucy Luttman, representing Michelle Sanna, described her actions as 'a stupid decision motivated by misguided protectiveness' and 'an aberration' in an otherwise distinguished career.
Tanya Robinson, defending Macauley, said he was 'extremely ashamed' of his actions and argued that his age and immaturity played a part in his 'ill-placed' decision-making. Nathan Fitzpatrick, representing Mollie, submitted that her age and immaturity had contributed to her 'unsophisticated, unplanned and fairly limited' actions, and noted she had demonstrated 'very clear' remorse.
Sentences Handed Down
Judge Stevenson sentenced Michelle Sanna to 15 months imprisonment, with her to serve six months before being released on licence. He told her she would be failing in his public duty if he did not send her to prison immediately.
Macauley Sanna, now 22, received an 11-month jail term suspended for 18 months, with 160 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity requirements, and an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement for 120 days.
Mollie Sanna, now 24, was handed a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months with 160 hours of unpaid work.
Professional Consequences
Following her guilty plea in January, Michelle Sanna was dismissed from her job without notice at a misconduct hearing in February. A report from the proceedings stated she had allowed 'personal loyalties to override her duty,' resulting in 'serious harm to the reputation of policing' and a 'serious breach of both honesty and integrity.'
The court heard that Macauley was later prosecuted for careless driving and failing to provide details in relation to the collision. Had he been found over the drink-drive limit, he could have faced harsher charges, including causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
