A WOMAN who posed as an undercover police officer after a row at a petrol station said she would not be able to comply with her sentence.

Janette Bentley, 63, of MacGregor Drive, Wickford, said she might not be able to pay £705 court costs as part of her sentencing at Basildon Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Bentley was also sentenced to 12 weeks in jail suspended for a year for claiming to be a police officer at Texaco garage, in Wickford, to try to gain access to CCTV.

The court heard staff saw and heard shouting on the busy forecourt between Bentley and a man, who had asked her to move, on March 2.

Afterwards she tried to pay for her fuel, but her card was rejected. She claimed all cash machines in Wickford were broken and she was investigating it as part of her role as a police officer. She ended up paying with cash, but wanted to gain access to CCTV to find information about the man she had argued with, falsely alleging he had assaulted her.

Staff told her they didn’t have authority to do so and she would have to leave her details.

She refused, again saying she was ex-directory as she was an undercover officer.

During sentencing Bentley, who said she was disabled and deaf in one ear, said she still denied the charge of pretending to be a police officer with intent to deceive.

Martin Hampson, chairman of the bench, said: “I suggest the costs are paid, otherwise you could find yourself in the court again.”

Bentley added: “I think that may happen.

“That’s going without food and utilities.