Mother jailed for ‘wicked’ lies over rape

Mother-of-two Emma Saxon claimed she was raped in a car at Morrison’s supermarket in Penistone Road, Sheffield.

But she was found to be lying about the man she had been having a sexual relationship with after he failed to arrive for a liaison.

The victim of her slur, Martin Blood, spent 14 hours in a police cell and had to undergo an intimate medical examination.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Saxon, 23, was given a community penalty in 2007 after a similar false allegation.

Jailing her yesterday, Judge Michael Murphy said: “Rape is such a terrible, diabolical offence that it is always treated very seriously in these courts.

“It is a most serious allegation for one person to make against another. It is truly awful if it is untrue.”

Saxon, of Challoner Green, Westfield, Sheffield admitted perverting the course of justice.

Bev Tait, prosecuting, said a man rang the police saying Saxon had been raped in the car.

An incident team swung into action and police traced the car driver within 20 minutes. Officers went to his address but found the car engine cold in the driveway and a dry patch beneath the car where it was standing.

Despite their suspicions about the allegation, police arrested Mr Blood. Ms Tait said it took a month for police to ascertain the allegation was groundless.

Mr Blood told police he met Saxon on a dating site and for him it was a purely sexual relationship, but she wanted something more.

On July 16 2010 they exchanged texts at about 9pm. He went to bed and the next thing he knew was when officers arrived at his home.

Rebecca Stevens, for Saxon, said she was a “vulnerable young woman” in the company of “less desirable” people who had pressurised her to make the rape allegation.

The court heard she may lose her two sons, aged one and three, if jailed.

But Judge Murphy said the false allegation, the “shame and degradation” suffered by Mr Blood and her previous conviction for a similar offence had made jail inevitable.

“It is important that people understand that a false allegation of rape is a wicked thing to do,” he told her.