A devious father and son have been jailed over a plot to get an innocent woman arrested for a wounding offence.

Danny Tiplady, 26, stabbed himself and then claimed he had been attacked by his ex-partner Jennifer Marshall.

He admitted perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to 10 months. His father Martin Tiplady, 47, denied the offence but was convicted. He was sentenced to 15 months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard there was bitterness between the Tiplady family and Miss Marshall over a matter that cannot be reported for legal reasons.

She was collecting some belongings from Danny Tiplady's flat at Tennyson Lodge, Maidstone, on October 5 last year when he stabbed himself in the thigh with a knife wrapped in toilet tissue.

John Bishop, prosecuting, said Martin Tiplady, of Kent Avenue, Maidstone, called the police and an ambulance.

"The allegation from the two of them was that Miss Marshall had stabbed Danny Tiplady," he said. "She was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

"Danny Tiplady was taken to hospital. The story fairly rapidly unravelled once the police interrogated Danny Tiplady's phone and they were aware of what he was thinking of doing."

After his arrest, the son told why he had resorted to such an extreme action and spoke of wanting to take revenge on Miss Marshall.

"It tortures me every little lie she tells," he said. "I thought maybe one big lie and I could keep on top of it. I had so much hate for the things she did. I took a stand.

"The system failed me. I dreamt every day of killing her. Every day I thought of hurting her. I still do and I can't stop."

Tiplady said he was "dead proud" and did not care what happened to him. He claimed he had never hurt Miss Marshall, but she had hurt him "over and over and over".

Miss Marshall, who lives in Norwich, Norfolk, told how Tiplady shouted to his father: "Call the police. Jennifer has just stabbed me."

Miss Marshall said: "I was terrified. I started breaking down and crying."

Mr Bishop asked for a restraining order against the father and son, but Judge Charles Macdonald QC declined to make one.

The judge said Martin Tiplady was well aware of his son's plan and was a willing participant.

"Danny Tiplady would not have run the incredible risk if he hadn't had you on side," he told him. "So this little pantomime was staged and to her horror Miss Marshall found herself arrested, cautioned and interviewed and giving samples at the police station.

"It was later when Danny Tiplady was interviewed and he made admissions that suspicion of offences which cover the range of wounding with intent to assault causing actual bodily harm was removed from her.

"Meanwhile, your purpose had been achieved."

Judge Macdonald said aggravating features of the offence were planning and the detrimental effect on the criminal justice system.

"This crime was intended and did subvert the due process of court justice," he added.

"Immediate custody is required in all but the most exceptional cases to deter and punish. You must plainly both go straight to prison."

James Ross, for Danny Tiplady, said the one of the central features in his client's life was his depression, which started after his family moved to Wales when he was 15.

He met Miss Marshall and she went to live with him there, but it was a bad relationship. She also suffered from depression.

"This was the work of a very desperate, mentally-addled, depressed young man..." - James Ross, defending

"You had two people who were unwell and where normal thought processes became abnormal," said Mr Ross.

Tiplady had all manner of macabre thoughts going through his head before the incident, he said, but the only person he harmed was himself.

"If he had thought things through it may not have ended with paramedics being called," continued Mr Ross. "He is now in a stable relationship."

He added: "This was the work of a very desperate, mentally-addled, depressed young man."

Catherine Farrelly, for Martin Tiplady, said the victim was mercifully never charged. Tiplady had been out of trouble for more than 20 years.

"He appreciates he will receive his first prison sentence," she said. "That will be extremely difficult for him. His wife relies on him to a great extent."

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