A woman has been locked up for a bogus rape claim after having sex with a man behind her boyfriend's back.

The false allegation by Danielle Walters, 19, led to the man being arrested and detained for more than ten hours, Bradford Crown Court was told.

The man, who had to provide intimate samples to police, said Walters had consented and had been the instigator.

Walters, who admitted an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice, broke down in tears yesterday as the Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, sentenced her to five months in a young offender institution.

He said Walters's actions had led to an innocent man being arrested and losing his liberty for in excess of ten hours.

Judge Gullick told her: "One wonders precisely what was going through his mind in the police station. He was probably wondering whether he would end up precisely where you are in the dock facing an allegation of rape."

The man was bailed pending inquiries, but prosecutor Ewan McLachlan said witnesses cast doubt on Walters's story. The court heard Walters had been questioned by a specially-trained police officer in August.

She described how she had met the man by chance in Bradford city centre before going back to her flat at Shepton Apartments, Park Road, Little Horton.

"She told the officer she had gone into her bedroom and the complainant joined her,'' said Mr McLachlan. "She told the officer she had repeatedly said no to the complainant, but claimed he then held her down then raped her.'' The day after the allegation Walters was questioned again and this time admitted that her account was not correct.

When the man was re-interviewed, he told police Walters had kissed him before leading him by the wrist to a bedroom.

He said they had sex and he started feeling guilty as he was in a relationship.

The court heard that the man's career prospects had been put in jeopardy by the allegation. Although Walters had no previous convictions it was revealed in court that, in April, she was given a fixed penalty for wasting police time after she made up an allegation of robbery. Unemployed Walters claimed her handbag had been snatched to get an emergency crisis loan when she was desperate for money.

Barrister Michael Collins, for Walters, said she was having problems in her relationship with her boyfriend and, after sex with the man, decided to tell her partner.

Walters maintained she had been saying no to the man and her boyfriend insisted she report the incident.

Mr Collins said she accepted her behaviour had been appalling but, to her credit sought very soon after the complaint "to ensure the consequences were mitigated at the very earliest stage".

Judge Gullick said he had taken into account Walters's age and circumstances and that had enable him to reduce the length of the inevitable sentence.

e-mail: newsdesk @bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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