Former MP tried to access gambling site she had banned herself from

Former British MP Katie Wallis admitted an offence under the Computer Misuse Act and received a nine-month conditional discharge. The case was heard at Cardiff Crown Court, where it emerged that Wallis tried to access an online gambling site after having excluded herself from such sites.

Prosecutor Richard Posner said that in April 2022 Wallis used her computer to alter the date on an image of a passport and then used that image in an attempt to get into a gambling site. She had previously registered with Gamstop, the system that blocks people from taking part in licensed gambling sites and apps in the UK. The prosecutor said Wallis had a well-known gambling problem and had taken steps to address it.

The court was told that the physical passport was genuine and had not been altered. Wallis had not used anyone else's identity. She lost the money she deposited with the site, but no one else suffered any financial loss.

Wallis represented the Bridgend constituency for the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2024. On the charges of possessing two forged passports, she admitted the alternative computer offence, and a formal verdict of not guilty was entered on those charges. Judge Shomon Khan accepted that the act was a single impulsive action carried out during a period of psychological distress, and said Wallis had put forward compelling personal reasons. The court heard that Wallis applied to be excluded from gambling sites again and cooperated with the prosecution. A conditional discharge means that if she commits a new offence within the nine-month period, the court can sentence her for the original offence.