by Keith Hunt

A woman who cried rape after consenting to sex with a man she met in a pub has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Stacy Ellison, 25, made up the allegation against Paul Roberts after telling her 64-year-old married lover she had been raped and he insisted she reported the matter to the police.

Mr Roberts was arrested, subjected to intimate tests and held in a police cell overnight.

He was released after Ellison confessed she had lied and revealed she had sex with Mr Roberts to get back at her boyfriend.

Judge Martin Joy told Ellison: "The reality is rape is an extremely serious offence. It has been described on many occasions as a repulsive offence.

"A false allegation of rape leads to the insidious effect of undermining public confidence in the truth of genuine complaints of rape.

"Thus, in cases where people make up in great detail a false allegation of rape, only severe punishment can be expected."

Ellison, of Pine House, Gorse Avenue, Chatham, admitted perverting the course of justice.

Martin Yale, prosecuting, said Ellison gave a detailed statement when she made the claim in August last year.

She told how she went to the Poachers Pocket public house in Chatham on July 28 and saw Mr Roberts there.

He bought her a drink and they later walked to her flat. She invited him in for coffee.

Ellison claimed Mr Roberts tried to kiss her then dragged her to the bedroom and raped her. She described being too shocked to move.

Mr Roberts was arrested, fingerprinted, forced to give intimate samples and held in custody for over 15 hours before being released on bail.

Ellison returned to the police station eight days later and said although the allegation was true, she wanted to withdraw it. She went back again and confessed she had made it up.

She told her boyfriend and he became angry, so she said it happened without her consent. He then insisted she reported it to the police.

Mr Yale told Maidstone Crown Court Ellison had in 2008 been jailed for three months for fraud.

The judge said the facts of the offence were extremely disturbing.

"It is quite plain how shocked Mr Roberts must have been," he said. "You have admitted this shocking act."