A SCORNED ex was lucky to avoid jail for falsely reporting that her former boyfriend assaulted her.
On Thursday at Alloa Sheriff Court, Jessica Stevens pleaded guilty to wasting police time by dishonestly representing to a constable that her ex assaulted her and stole a quantity of money from her home address on August 14 this year.
The 24-year-old, of the town’s Gaberston Avenue, caused officers maintained by the public expense for the public benefit to devote their time to an investigation that she knew to be false, which did temporarily deprive the public of police services and did render her ex liable to suspicion and accusation of assault and theft.
As the Advertiser reported previously, the accused contacted the authorities to report that she had been assaulted by her ex and he had made off with £50.
A statement was taken and door-to-door enquiries were made. Further enquiries were made in connection to the accused between August 14-30.
Stevens was visited on a number of occasions where she maintained that the original report she had given was correct.
On August 30, during which time the police were attempting to trace Stevens’ ex, the accused admitted that the report she had given was false; no assault had taken place and the money wasn’t stolen.
Stevens was said to have fabricated the story because they had fallen out.
When interviewed by police, she admitted that they had been arguing and shouting at each other and she was “p*ssed off” he took the money, which belonged to the both of them.
The court was told Stevens had changed her mind after her ex had given the money back.
Worryingly, the accused had got someone to back up her original claims.
A witness previously confirmed that she had observed the assault, but then confessed that she had given a false statement after she was asked by the accused.
Defending, Kelly Howe claimed that Stevens had spoke to police call handlers several times in an attempt to retract her complaint, however it was not until the officers went to her house that her confession was recorded.
Sheriff David Mackie reprimanded Stevens for making up the claims. He explained that it was “not unusual” for vulnerable partners to retract complaints after being assaulted.
Sheriff Mackie told the accused that the law was “not there to be trifled with”, which is why they have to take false claims seriously.
He sentenced Stevens to a CPO with supervision for nine months and 80 hours of unpaid work to be complete within six months.