Woman who falsely accused 10 men of rape jailed

A woman who falsely accused 10 men of raping her has been jailed.

Stacey Sharples, 30, of Farnworth, admitted 10 counts of perverting the course of justice in relation to reports she made against the men from across Greater Manchester between 2013 and 2019, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The victims told Bolton Crown Court Sharples' lies had "ruined" their lives, as the allegations had led to many of them losing their jobs, partners, and access to their children.

Sharples was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

GMP said the investigation into Sharples commenced after investigative lines of inquiry "consistently" revealed evidence contrary to what had been disclosed by her.

The force said there was a "continuous, wilful making of false allegations" by Sharples, who knew "full well the consequences for each of the men involved".

One of the victims, Reece Lockett, said his life had been "turned upside down the day I was falsely accused of rape", and he had lost his parents, his partner and his job because of it.

He said that he was scared to walk around his own area because he felt "labelled".

Another victim, Connor Austen, said Sharples had "ruined seven years of my life".

"I lost my home, my partner and had to defend myself for something I never did. I lost my job and couldn't get another one."

Another man said that his life was "the best it had ever been" before he was arrested over the false accusation by Sharples but soon after "I became homeless".

Andrew Jackson, who was also falsely accused by Sharples, said he was not allowed to see his daughter after the allegations were made and had missed out on "key milestones".

The force said that most of the men were arrested and spent time in custody.

Some of the men had to undertake intimate examinations and almost all of them spent periods of time on police bail or were released under investigation, it added.

Det Sgt Steven Gilliland paid tribute to the men's "strength", after they had "endured an experience no-one would ever wish to go through, and done so with dignity".

He said he hoped the sentence made them feel "a sense of justice for what happened to them".

"To anyone out there who has been a victim of rape or any sexual offence, I plead that the actions of Stacey Sharples do not stop you from seeking support, whether that be from police, a charity or support service," he added.

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