Search for
Search for
Search forSt George woman's rape lie after being caught with another man
Friday, July 25, 2008, 08:00
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.
Comment on this story