Shrewsbury woman lied about sexual assaults
Four Shropshire men – including a pensioner who was on holiday – were wrongly arrested and accused of sexual assaults, a court heard.
The complaints made to police two years ago by 30-year-old Anna Carey were all completely untrue, a court heard.
Carey had also planted a knife outside her Shrewsbury home to back up one of her false allegations.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court, Carey was given a three-year community order, which includes a care plan and a rehabilitation programme.
The court heard psychiatric reports showed Carey, previously known as Annelise Costin, had mental health issues and needed assistance and treatment.
Judge Peter Barrie told Carey it was unusual for people who make false claims of rape not to go straight to prison.
He said Carey had not considered the consequences of making unjustified calls to police and ambulance about circumstances that were not true.
Judge Barrie said it was a terrible time for the people arrested who were put at risk of being held in custody.
Carey, of Coldridge Drive, Herongate, had pleaded guilty to five charges of making false claims of rape, one of sexual assault and one of assault with intent to pervert the course of public justice between January and March 2016.
The victims did not know Carey, but she had become aware of them and their names prior to making the complaints. The court heard that because she was considered vulnerable, CCTV had been installed outside her home.
In one false claim, Carey said she had been attacked in her home by a man armed with a knife but CCTV footage showed there was no-one at the property.
Five other false complaints were made during the February and a 60-year-old man was arrested three times.
