Exclusive: Document sheds new light on episode that led to minister’s exit and guilty plea that friends say she regrets

Louise Haigh pleaded guilty to lying that her work mobile phone had been stolen in 2013, according to a court document seen by the Guardian which sheds new light on the controversy that triggered her departure from the cabinet.

The former transport secretary accepted the charge in a London magistrates court that she had dishonestly reported to her employer that her BlackBerry had been stolen, prompting her conviction for fraud and a £100 fine.