by Keith Hunt

A woman who falsely accused a man of rape after consensual sex because she was terrified her boyfriend would find out has been locked up.

Therese Jackson, 38, had sex twice with 47-year-old Stephen Bennett on September 9 last year - but Anne Phillips, prosecuting, said she told her boyfriend John Porter he had "pinned her down, pulled her hair, pulled her trousers down and had sexual intercourse with her" at Jackson's Field in the town.

They had in fact had consensual sex at Mr Bennett's sister's home in Chatham.

It was Mr Porter who made the initial call to police. Jackson was interviewed by police and handed over the clothes she had been wearing for forensic tests. She went to hospital and samples were taken from her.

Mr Bennett was arrested and locked in a cell for four hours. He was then on bail for four days before being told he would not be charged.

After admitting she had had consensual sex with Mr Bennett, Jackson said she had been unable to tell her boyfriend what actually happened. He had put pressure on her to report the allegation.

Tom Dunn, for Jackson, said a psychiatric report outlined a profoundly unhappy life. She was a chronic alcoholic who drank an "almost inconceivable" amount of alcohol a week.

Jackson, of Ealing Close, Chatham was jailed for four months at Maidstone Crown Court after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Recorder Simon Crookenden QC told Jackson: "Such allegations are extremely serious. They can result in destroying a man's reputation and a miscarriage of justice."