Westcliff: Woman jailed over false rape claims

A woman who made a series of false rape claims has been jailed following work by some of our specialist detectives.

Cathy Richardson made a series of allegations against two men between January and May last year.

These allegations led to officers carrying out 60 investigations.

As part of these investigations, one of the men she accused was arrested and made subject to a forensic examination.

However, as officers progressed their enquiries into Richardson’s claims, they found that CCTV, phone data, and information from automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras showed the alleged attacker was not in the area at the time Richardson alleged the assaults to have taken place.

One of the men even agreed to have a GPS tracking tag fitted to his ankle which would send an alarm to police if it was destroyed or taken off.

On a number of occasions, data from the tag was analysed and showed he was not in the area when Richardson said the attack had taken place.

Richardson, 35, of North Road, Westcliff, was arrested on 28 May last year and later charged with perverting the course of justice.

She admitted 10 counts at Salisbury Crown Court on 23 May this year.

At the same court today (Friday 30 September), she was sentenced to five years and one month in prison.

Detective Inspector James Holmes, who led the investigation, said:

“Whenever an allegation of rape or sexual assault comes to us, our starting point is to believe the person making that claim.

“They are awful offences and have a massive impact on those who’ve experienced them, and we have specialist officers and staff who support them and investigate.

“To begin with, Cathy Richardson’s claims were no different and we carried out our enquiries with compassion and empathy.

“However, it quickly became clear the allegations Richardson had made were not what they seemed

“Her claims do a great disservice to victims of rape and sexual assault who need our help and support.

“And they have had a huge impact on the lives of the two men she had accused.

“Her allegations led to a significant number of investigations which for our officers, taking up a huge number of time and resources which we would have preferred to have directed towards helping genuine victims who really do need us.

“I sincerely hope this case does not put off victims of rape and sexual assault, who really need our help, from reporting offences to us. I want to reassure you that you will be believed, we will support you, and we will investigate what has happened.”

We are dedicated to tackling violence against women and girls in Essex.

We have dedicated officers across the county – whether they specialise in investigating sexual or domestic abuse, offer a uniformed respond to immediate reports of violence, or officers and staff members who are on the other end of our 999 calls – who work together to reassure and protect victims and bring violent perpetrators to justice.

We know that there are some people who do not feel comfortable reporting crimes to the police, and it’s on us to gain and maintain trust.

If you’ve had a crime committed against you, we want to help deliver justice for you. Our officers are dedicated to protecting and serving the people of Essex, and we ensure that criminals are taken off your streets every day.

Always call 999 in an emergency.

If it’s not an emergency, you can submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk or use the 'Live Chat' button to speak to an online operator between 10am-9pm Monday to Friday.

You can also call us on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone.

Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.

For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.

For more information visit the Synergy Essex website: https://synergyessex.org.uk/

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