Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff's rugby player partner Ben Cohen says he's 'fighting not to lose his cars, house and relationship' in emotional court appearance

The former England rugby player gave an emotional account of how he was ‘overdrawn’ and ‘fighting not to lose everything’ at Northampton Crown Court today (Friday, September 6).

The couple were at court where the former England and Northampton Saints rugby star spent an astonishing 20 minutes explaining how difficulties in the couple’s life had led to former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff driving without insurance.

Rihanoff sobbed throughout the appearance and had to leave the court room during the hearing holding her hands over her mouth because she felt sick. She spent the end of the hearing wrapped in a white blanket holding a tissue to her eyes.

Mr Cohen alluded to difficulties in their relationship telling the court ‘I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything – to lose my cars and my house and my relationship’.

Rihanoff, 46, who appeared under the name Kristina Pchenitchnykh, was caught driving her 72-plate Audi Q3 in Horsemarket, Northampton, on April 4 this year. She subsequently pleaded guilty at a magistrates’ court hearing in June and was given six points on her licence. Because she already had six points, she would have faced disqualification under the totting rule.

But she told magistrates she had jobs judging ballroom competitions that took her all over the country and could not rely on public transport because she only earned £2,000 per month. She also cited difficulties with getting her children to school.

She said that Mr Cohen had always been responsible for insuring their vehicles and that she didn’t know she was uninsured. At that hearing, magistrates did not ban her from driving, but gave her six points and imposed fines and costs of nearly £1,000.

Rihanoff, of Ecton Lane, Sywell, appeared this morning (Friday, September 6) to appeal her conviction in front of Recorder Louise Cox at the crown court. Mr Cohen appeared as a witness.

He confirmed that he had been solely responsible for sourcing insurance for the couple’s cars.

The court was told that Mr Cohen had been searching for cheaper insurance online at the end of February after being quoted £7,500 by Aviva.

He said he had taken out a policy out with a firm called Dial Direct on February 22, paying monthly by direct debit.

Rihanoff’s barrister Michael Mulkerrins said: “Did the fact there were some issues between you personally effect the day to day finances?”

"We’re still living together,” replied Mr Cohen.

"We’re in it financially. We’re in business together so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another problem for me to deal with.

"I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything – to lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.

"I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid.

"It’s just another problem.”

Mr Cohen said that in March he had been abroad when he received a text message telling him Dial Direct were going to cancel his insurance unless he sent them his no claims details.

He said he didn’t have a no claims bonus so he did not send any details to the company and did not respond, nor did he check the policy online, and he did not tell his partner. The policy was subsequently cancelled on March 7.

On April 14, Rihanoff was stopped driving uninsured in Northampton town centre and, when police phoned him, Cohen immediately tried to take out another policy with the same company.

When asked if he knew, on April 14, that the policy had been cancelled, he told the court: “I 100 per cent did not know that policy would be cancelled because the no claims information they’d been asking for wasn’t relevant to me.”

He was again asked if he had received any email correspondence to tell him the policy had been cancelled in March.

"I wasn’t aware,” he said.

He said his own vehicle’s insurance had also been cancelled and that he had been taking his children to school without knowing that.

"I didn’t know until I got that call from Kristina then I was (saying) ‘what are you on about?’” he said.

Prosecutor Micaila Williams asked Mr Cohen if, when he returned home from abroad, he checked his insurance policy documents online.

“No.. I was not checking my insurance. No.”

He also said he had not told Rihanoff about the cancellation of the insurance.

“Before you can put someone on a policy as a main driver you have to answer questions about speeding offences,” said Ms Williams.

"Did you ask her for the dates of her speeding offences before you took out the policy?"

"I didn’t know, no,” said Mr Cohen.

Denying the appeal, Recorder Cox said she had ‘every sympathy’ with Rihanoff.

"We find you had an honest belief you were insured but don’t accept that belief was reasonable grounds to account for your lack of insurance,” she said.

She said that Rihanoff should have made sure she was insured before driving.

She ordered Rihanoff to pay £357 in appeal costs.

Rihanoff and Mr Cohen met in 2013 on Strictly Come Dancing and have spoken publicly numerous times about their relationship and finances. Together, they run Soo Yoga in Northampton.