A woman falsely accused a man of rape in an “act of revenge” after he rebuffed her advances.
Susan Stewart told police officers a pack of lies and accused the man of sexually assaulting her following a night out in Fraserburgh on December 16 2018.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told she concocted the story after he told her he was more interested in dating her cousin.
When Stewart, 34, found out he’d been to visit her relative she text him “well, we will see what the police have to say” before making the false rape claims.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson said Stewart contacted police on January 18 2019 and told them the man had raped her just over a month earlier.
Claimed that he ‘duped her’ into going home with him
Ms Simpson said: “She stated she had met him by chance within a licensed premise in Fraserburgh and that he had pestered her by repeatedly trying to buy her drinks, attempting to dance with her and attempting to exchange telephone numbers with her so that they could arrange a future date.
“She stated that he eventually persuaded her to walk with him to his house where he told her there was an ongoing party.
“She alleged that he duped her into attending his home address and that when she got there she realised that there was no party.
“The accused reported that he raped her there.
“Given the nature of the allegation made by the accused, a sexual offences liaison officer was deployed and a high priority sexual offences enquiry was instigated.
“A comprehensive statement was noted and read back to her. The accused agreed that the content of her statement was accurate.”
Man said it was ‘act of revenge’
Police cautioned and arrested the man on January 22 2019 and he immediately “pleaded with officers” to look at his phone, which unearthed various messages between the two.
The fiscal continued: “From the outset, he protested his innocence and stated that the allegation was a complete fabrication by the accused as an act of revenge after she found out that he had been trying to arrange a date with her cousin.
“He pleaded with police officers to examine his mobile phone as he felt it contained evidence which would show the accused to be a liar.”
His phone showed the pair had been in regular contact in the weeks leading up to the man’s arrest date.
The content of the messages suggested Stewart had been “actively pursuing” a relationship with the man at the time however they also showed there was a disagreement on the same day she made the rape allegation to officers.
He showed interest in her cousin
“The accused discovered the man had been to visit her cousin,” the fiscal said.
“When the accused told him to stop contacting her cousin and he refused to do so she sent him a message which read ‘well, we will see what the police have to say’.
“She attended at the police station a few hours later and reported the rape.”
The court was told the allegations prompted a “serious sexual offence enquiry that placed a high demand on police resources”.
Her victim, while in police custody, made a complaint about Stewart’s false allegation of rape against him.
Stewart admitted a charge of wasting police time.
Sheriff Ian Wallace deferred sentencing of Stewart, of Ward Road, Rosehearty, for background reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out.
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