A Swindon woman who lied about being raped has admitted breaching her community order.
Lauren Skinner, 19, was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to causing wasteful employment of the police in March last year.
The defendant, of May Close, Gorse Hill, made a false report to Wiltshire Police claiming she had been raped on a footpath off Drakes Way in July 2020.
She wasted police time by attending the Sexual Assault Referal Centre (SARC) for forensic examinations, with seven police officers and four community support officers working the case.
It was later found – through CCTV enquiries – that Skinner had lied about the rape because her then-boyfriend denied her entry to his home following an argument.
With a full investigation launched and a crime scene in place for many hours, the force calculated that 86 hours of police time, amounting to £2,117.77, was wasted.
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (24 January), she admitted breaching the community order imposed for the offence by failing to attend unpaid work on two occasions without a reasonable excuse.
Probation officer Michelle James said Skinner’s order is unsuitable given her employment responsibilities and asked for a revoke and re-sentence. She told the court that since March, she has completed just 28 hours of the 100 hours imposed.
Defending, Mark Glendenning said his client was getting support for underlying issues from the Nelson’s Trust and working at a coronavirus testing site.
District Judge Joanna Dickens revoked the existing order and sentenced her to a one-year community order to include ten rehabilitation activity requirement days. She was fined £50 for the breach.
“This is a substantial change from having to do all those hours to not having any, there’s no excuse not to complete these”, Ms Dickens said.
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