A mother of five who falsely accused a Good Samaritan of rape after he gave her a lift home has been jailed for two years. Rachael Jones, 38, from Cheshire, admitted perverting the course of justice at Chester Crown Court.
Judge Steven Everett warned that her actions could deter men from helping lone women in distress. He said: 'There will be many people who will say: "I am not doing that just in case a serious allegation is made."'
The incident occurred on April 18, 2022, when Jones was dropped off by a taxi after arguing with the driver. Salim Ullah, a father-to-be, stopped to help her. After dropping her off, Jones falsely claimed she had been gang-raped by Ullah and two other men.
Ullah was arrested and held for 30 hours before police cleared him. He had recorded the encounter on his phone. In a statement, he said: 'I believe I was targeted due to my ethnicity.'
Judge Everett noted that without the recording, Ullah would likely have been prosecuted for rape. Jones was sentenced to two years in prison.
