Ben Cohen has said he is ‘fighting to save his relationship and home’ as he appeared in court with his partner Kristina Rihanoff after she was caught driving without insurance.
The Rugby World Cup winner, 45, gave evidence alongside the 46-year-old professional dancer after she was seen behind the wheel of her £30,000 Audi Q3 in Northampton on April 4.
Rihanoff was slapped with six points on her licence but faced a ban for totting up 12 penalty points.
She went to court to appeal the conviction for driving without insurance, with Mr Cohen appearing as her witness.
During the appeal hearing on Friday, Cohen admitted to overlooking a text message from his insurance company prior to the incident, as her partner sobbed throughout the hearing.
Retired rugby international Ben Cohen told a court that he is fighting to save his family home and his relationship with professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff after she was caught driving without insurance
During an appeal on Friday, long-term partner Cohen – appearing as her witness – admitted to overlooking a text message from his insurance company prior to the incident
The pair fell for each other after they were partnered up on the 11th series of Strictly in 2013.
The court heard they had set up several businesses, including a Yoga studio, which had suffered as a result of Covid.
Cohen said: ‘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.’
When questioned about the strains on his and Rihanoff’s relationship, he said: ‘We’re still living together. 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’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.’
Rihanoff sobbed throughout the hearing and had to leave the court room holding her hands over her mouth because she felt sick.
She spent the rest of the hearing wrapped in a white blanket holding a tissue to her eyes.
She told the court she needed to drive to judge ballroom competitions across the country, which earned her £2,000-a-month.
She also said she needed to drive to take her children to school.
Cohen confirmed that he had been solely responsible for sourcing insurance for the couple’s cars.
Rihanoff, a former Strictly Come Dancing star, was caught behind the wheel of her 72-plate Audi Q3 in Horsemarket, Northampton, on April 4
Former rugby star Cohen fell in love with the Russian dancer after they were partnered up on the 11th series of Strictly in 2013, despite him being married at the time (pictured on the show)
The court was told that the former rugby star 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 with Dial Direct on February 22, paying monthly by direct debit.
In March he was 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 so the policy was cancelled on March 7.
On April 14 Rihanoff was stopped driving uninsured in Northampton town centre.
The court heard that when police officers phoned him he 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 replied: ‘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 added: ‘I didn’t know until I got that call from Kristina then I was (saying) ‘what are you on about?”
He also said he had not told Rihanoff about the cancellation of the insurance.
He also admitted he had not asked Rihanoff about the dates of her previous speeding offences before taking out the policy.
Recorder Louise Cox rejected her appeal, but told Rihanoff she had ‘every sympathy’ with her.
She said: ‘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 subsequently quit the show in 2015 when she fell pregnant with with their daughter, now eight (pictured together in 2022)
The judge said that Rihanoff should have made sure she was insured before driving.
Rihanoff, of Sywell, Northants., was ordered to pay £357 in appeal costs.
The 22nd series of Strictly Come Dancing kicks off this Saturday amid a string of scandals over bullying and abuse.
Cohen fell in love with the Russian dancer after they were partnered on the 11th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, despite him being married at the time.
She subsequently left the show in 2015 after falling pregnant with their daughter, now eight.
Earlier last year, Cohen said his relationship with fiancée Kristina has been ‘strengthened’ by ‘difficult times in business’ ahead of their wedding.
He told HELLO! magazine: ‘Over the last nine years we’ve been through the wringer To support each other through difficult times in business is the ultimate test in a relationship.
‘I’ve watched her flourish, from her becoming a mum to growing as a businesswoman, and it has strengthened our bond.’
They told the magazine that they plan to make the big day a family affair with their daughter and Ben’s twin daughters, both 15, who he shares with his first wife Abby Blayney Cohen – serving as bridesmaids.
Rihanoff said: ‘She’s already told me what she’s going to wear. ‘I want this kind of dress, Mummy, with a long train like you will have,’ she tells me. She certainly knows her own mind.’
