'Wicked' woman jailed over false sex assault claim

AN "irresponsible and wicked" woman has been jailed for three years after she slashed her body, hair and clothing to convince police she was the victim of a serious sexual assault.

A judge told Leyla Ibrahim, 22, she was dishonest from "first to last" as her false claim sparked a major police investigation and led to the arrest of four innocent men.

Her allegation led to the suspects being held in custody for more than 60 hours and an investigation that cost more than 150,000.

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One man described his ordeal in detention as "torture" while another attempted self-harm, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Petrol station attendant Ibrahim, of Carlisle, Cumbria, wanted to teach her friends a lesson in January last year after they were said to have refused to give her a lift home.

She told detectives she had been knocked to the ground on a footpath and sexually assaulted by two youths.

Photofits were placed around the city of Carlisle and the four suspects subsequently arrested.

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But then doubts emerged about her account when a pair of scissors carrying only fibres of her own clothing were found near to the scene.

Two months after reporting the incident she was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and later charged with the offence.

Ibrahim, who is seven months' pregnant, was convicted by a jury last month following a 10-day trial.

Sentencing her yesterday, Judge Paul Batty QC said: "Every false allegation of rape or serious sexual assault increases the plight of those women who have been the victim of such a dreadful crime and makes it harder to prove where a crime really has taken place. Your behaviour throughout these proceedings has been irresponsible in the extreme and many would say wicked.

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"You diverted the scant resources of police who looked for the supposed attackers."

Ibrahim, of Deerpark Road, will serve half her sentence in custody before she is released on licence for the remaining period.

Tim Evans, prosecuting, said one of the men arrested described his period in custody as "torture" and that he was "devastated" at being linked to the supposed crime.

"Another said the taking of samples was horrible and that people were spreading rumours on his release that he was a rapist," he said.

A bout of depression and self-harm was triggered in a third man during his time in detention.

Hilary Manley, defending, said: her client maintained her innocence.

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