A woman has admitted making a false rape claim, which led to a police investigation that cost more than £18,000.
Chelsea Mackie told officers she had been dragged down a street and had clothing ripped before she was attacked.
However, months later she admitted she had invented the claim and confessed to ripping her own clothes as part of her ruse.
The 23-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.
Fiscal depute Kelly Mitchell told the court Mackie had been out with her borther and boyfriend in the city’s George Street on January 17, 2014, where they saw three men.
Mackie told her brother one of them had previously offered to sell her the date rape drug GHB, this led to a disturbance and police were called.
Officers spoke to Mackie and shortly after saw her walking behind the three men.
Mackie then turned up at a block of flats to see her mother-in-law.
Miss Mitchell said: “She heard her banging on the door, and heard the accused shouting ‘I have just been raped’. She did not believe this to be true and ignored the accused who continued to shout and swear for five minutes.”
Mackie then went outside and told a resident she had been attacked.
She claimed that one of the men had tried to rip her clothes off before raping her, while the other two men stood by.
Two of the men were cautioned, detained and interviewed, and denied raping Mackie.
It was also found there were no marks on Mackie’s clothing – which did not match her description of being dragged.
On July 18, 2014, Mackie was detained by police and initially insisted she was telling the truth.
Miss Mitchell said: “As it went on she was asked further questions, she stated that she had fabricated her rape, she also advised that she had caused damage to her own clothing.”
The court heard 350 hours had been spent investigating the rape and the total cost was estimated between £18,000-20,000.
Defence agent Liam McAllister said his client had a “deeply troubling” background but added: “She is under no illusions that what she has pled guilty to may result in a custodial sentence.”
Mackie appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted a charge of making a false accusation of rape against three men.
She also failed to appear in court on April 12 last year.
Sheriff Graeme Napier told Mackie, of Tillyfour Court, Alford, as he deferred sentence to next month: “You have done no service to other people who are actually real victims of rape.”
