Mum Margaret Thompson could face Christmas in prison after she admitted defrauding an insurance company of £1,400.

Thompson, 40, of Stirling Road, Market Lavington admitted obtaining the money by deception when she appeared before magistrates in Devizes on Monday. She had claimed that she and not her 18-year-old son Kevin was driving her Metro saloon when it was written off in a crash on April 28.

Jane Warren, prosecuting, told the court Thompson's son had borrowed the car to take himself and two friends into Devizes.

But at the double bends at Lydeway on the A342 he lost control and crashed off the road.

He called his parents on his mobile phone and they came out to the scene of the accident. While his father drove the young people into Devizes, Mrs Thompson stayed with the car until the police came.

Norwich Union insurance company received a claim for damage to the J-reg Metro which was written off. On May 10 it sent a cheque for £1,400 covering the value of the car minus a £100 excess.

But police investigations led to the passengers in the car who said it was Kevin and not his mother who was at the wheel. She admitted to police she had not been the driver that day.

She had described it as a moment of madness but Miss Warren said it was a moment of madness sustained for quite some time.

"For she only came forward after other occupants of the car had given evidence to the police," she said.

Malcolm Wieck, defending, said the offence had happened out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to her son. He said: "It didn't need to have happened. He wasn't driving without consent and he knew there was insurance to cover him. She made a stupid decision and is prepared to live with that and comes to face the music."

Mr Wieck suggested a conditional discharge would be appropriate for a first offence such as this but Miss Warren said it was far too serious for that.

She said: "The public needs to be assured that such an offence, involving a large sum of money, would be punished to deter others from doing the same thing."

The magistrates called for a pre-sentence report to decide whether a custodial or community sentence was in order. The case was adjourned to December 19. Thompson, who is studying to become a nurse, was released on unconditional bail.

The court was informed of two legal precedents, involving sentences of five months and six months respectively for insurance fraud involving smaller sums than that with which Mrs Thompson is charged.

Mr Wieck said his client, having brought up two children, Kevin and his 20-year-old brother, is now looking to rebuild a career and is studying at Swindon College to become a nurse. She works as a part-time care assistant at a nursing home at weekends.