St George woman's rape lie after being caught with another man
A woman who made a false rape allegation after being caught by her boyfriend in a hotel bedroom with another man has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Zoe Turner met the man she accused of raping her in a Bristol club and ended up sleeping with him in his hotel bed.
A recorder at Bristol Crown Court heard that nothing sexual took place between the two but when the woman's furious boyfriend found them she told police she had been raped.
The 33-year-old mother-of-five, of Nags Head Hill, St George, retracted the allegation two days after and later admitted a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
She was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.
Simon Goodman, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court, said Turner met the complainant, who cannot be identified on the direction of the recorder, at the Chicago Rock Cafe in Bristol on November 19 last year.
The two met again the following night and Turner ended up staying the night in the man's hotel room.
The court heard how Turner's boyfriend came in the next morning and there was a row.
Mr Goodman said the defendant made a false rape allegation to police later that morning.
But on November 22, after being asked to make a filmed police interview, Turner withdrew her allegation.
Mr Goodman said: “A lot of police time was spent on the investigation. Although he was not arrested, he was at risk of it.
“She retracted within two days of the complaint. The reason she didn't go through with the video is because she didn't want it to go too far.”
Robin Shellard, for Turner, said his client pleaded guilty in March this year despite knowing she risked being jailed. He said she realised what she did was “very, very, wrong”.
Recorder Mr Llewelyn Sellick told Turner that he had to pass a prison sentence.
“What you did is falsely accuse a man who had done you no harm at all of a very serious sexual offence,” he said.
“There was a comparatively long period when the man was at risk of being arrested. You told lie, after lie, after lie.
“In December you were still telling lies, saying something must have happened.
“You actually went to a hotel with the man. When you were confronted with that you admitted what you had done.
“There has to be a prison sentence. I'm able to suspend that,” he said.
55 Comments
View all
by Tip, London
Friday, July 25 2008, 7:07PM
“This woman should have the book thrown at her. She is a disgrace to her sex and should be severely punished. It is obvious she is just a tramp anyway.”
by Cee-Jai, Stoke Gifford
Friday, July 25 2008, 5:56PM
“Cole Trickle. Are you deliberately offensive or are you just ignorant???? 'Dressing provocatively'. Are you out of your mind? Next you'll be telling us that any woman not covered from head to foot in clothing deserves to be raped. I can dress in any way I please and have a right to stop sex at any time regardless of how far in to it I am (as has anyone male or female).
What this woman did was appalling but how she acted or dressed is neither here nor there.
With people like you on a jury no wonder (genuine) women don't come forward and men get away with these crimes.”
by Babs, Keynsham
Friday, July 25 2008, 4:57PM
“'Any' person... male or female, who wrongly accuses another and wastes police time... should be punished.
I hope this woman doesn't get raped in her future life... because she probably hasn't got a hope in hell of anyone ever believing her.”
by Cole Trickle, Bristol
Friday, July 25 2008, 4:35PM
“This is yet another example of people not knowing the difference between rape and surprise sex. According to everything we know this obviously falls into the latter, she clearly wanted it and encouraged it through drinking and dressing provocatively. Surprise sex, as far as I know, is not a crime and it should stay that way.”
by Cole Trickle, Bristol
Friday, July 25 2008, 4:33PM
“This is yet another example of people not knowing the difference between rape and surprise sex. According to everything we know this obviously falls into the latter, she clearly wanted it and encouraged it through drinking and dressing provocatively. Surprise sex, as far as I know, is not a crime and it should stay that way.”
by Cee-Jai, Stoke Gifford
Friday, July 25 2008, 4:13PM
“This woman is despicable and should have her kids taken away from her!. That said her punishment is probably similar in lenience to a man convicted of rape. The courts don't take rape seriously - that is when they can actually secure a conviction.”
by Wrongly Accused, Bristol
Friday, July 25 2008, 2:43PM
“Having been wrongly accused of a serious offence by my ex-partner after an argument over my daughter, I feel for this man. He is lucky in so far as he only had to endure two days of shame and was not named.
In my case it was some six months and my full name and address was both announced on the local radio and in the BEP. Thanks BEP!
When she was proved to be lying the media didn't bother to report it, the police didn't prosecute her at all and a civil action against her would have had to have been paid for out of my own pocket, and as John of Bristol said, the most I could have expected was a 'sorry' as she was a single parent.
My self esteem plummeted and within two years I had a nervous breakdown. For two years I couldn't leave the house. I lost my job and my daughter.
She destroyed my life and guess what....I feel raped!”
by alan Tarney, Bristol
Friday, July 25 2008, 2:36PM
“You know what;I am starting to get a little tired with the same rather sad people arguing over the same subects. This is not a chat room, this is a news and multi media platform. If your comments do not relate to the story and are offensive or argumentative I suggest you log into Livejournal. Have some respect for the the website and the other people that read it. And quite simply grow up. Now....on the subject of the girl who cried rape. Not sure prison is the answer other than therapy. As her claiming this, when it wasn;t true does not help the hundreds of women and men who get raped every year and do not speak up.”
by David, Bath
Friday, July 25 2008, 2:24PM
“Actually, why WAS the sentence suspended? Because of the kids, and her obligations to them? This is a woman who could go to Chicago Rock one evening, and a hotel for the whole night the next. Now, either she has a extremely understanding relative who can babysit, or she had quintuplets at the age of 17.”
by Anne, Bristol
Friday, July 25 2008, 1:51PM
“gordon, you're from putney, best stick to this is london and keep your nose out of the west country”