Westcliff: Woman jailed over false rape claims

A woman who made a series of false rape claims has been jailed following work by some of our specialist detectives.

Cathy Richardson made a series of allegations against two men between January and May last year.

These allegations led to officers carrying out 60 investigations.

As part of these investigations, one of the men she accused was arrested and made subject to a forensic examination.

However, as officers progressed their enquiries into Richardson’s claims, they found that CCTV, phone data, and information from automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras showed the alleged attacker was not in the area at the time Richardson alleged the assaults to have taken place.

One of the men even agreed to have a GPS tracking tag fitted to his ankle which would send an alarm to police if it was destroyed or taken off.

On a number of occasions, data from the tag was analysed and showed he was not in the area when Richardson said the attack had taken place.

Richardson, 35, of North Road, Westcliff, was arrested on 28 May last year and later charged with perverting the course of justice.

She admitted 10 counts at Salisbury Crown Court on 23 May this year.

At the same court today (Friday 30 September), she was sentenced to five years and one month in prison.