A Midland mother who was imprisoned for making what a judge described as a 'truly wicked' false rape allegation has lost her appeal against her custodial sentence.
Court Upholds 18-Month Sentence
Chloe May, aged 24, had appealed her 18-month jail term, but the Court of Appeal has now refused her application. The court ruled that the sentence was appropriate given the 'extreme seriousness' of her crime.
May admitted perverting the course of justice after falsely claiming she was raped by a male guest at the Jaylets Motel on Loughborough Road in Hathern, Leicestershire. She alleged that a female hotel manager and another man held her down during the supposed attack.
Devastating Impact on Victims
The court heard harrowing details about the consequences of May's fabricated claims. The hotel manager was arrested at 2am in front of her husband and teenage son, held in custody for nearly 19 hours, and subsequently lost her £40,000-a-year job. Her marriage ended, and she was forced to leave the area.
The male accused of rape was detained for over 11 hours and subjected to invasive examinations. He has since experienced suicidal feelings and turned to drink and drugs as a result of the ordeal.
All three victims provided alibis supported by CCTV footage, leading to the investigation being closed in September 2023.
Motivation and Aftermath
The Court of Appeal heard that May made the false allegation in July 2023, shortly after being evicted from the hotel for causing £450 worth of damage. During her police interview, when informed about the devastating effect her accusations had on the hotel manager and her family, May reportedly responded: "She should have thought about her children before she did what she did."
May's barrister, Steven Newcombe, told the court that her parents were now struggling to care for her child as they both work full-time.
Judicial Reasoning
Sir Robin Spencer, delivering the Court of Appeal judgment, acknowledged the impact of immediate custody on May's child and family members involved in her care. However, he emphasised: "We cannot lose sight of the extreme seriousness of this determined, prolonged and cruel course of conduct in deliberately setting out to pervert the course of justice."
The court concluded that May's sentence was "neither wrong in principle nor manifestly excessive."
Judge William Harbage KC, who originally sentenced May at Leicester Crown Court, told her: "Rape is a very serious offence, one of the most serious that there is. A false allegation of rape against somebody else is also a very serious allegation to make. It is a truly wicked thing to do."
He added: "Nobody wants to part a mother from her child, but I am afraid this is so serious I cannot suspend this sentence."
Support Network Statement
Following the case, the sexual violence support network FreeVA issued a statement emphasising: "This isolated case should not deter anyone from seeking help. No one should ever feel afraid to come forward. If you or someone you know needs support, Freeva is here to listen without judgement."
May, formerly of Oakham Drive in Coalville, remains incarcerated as her appeal has been definitively refused by the higher court.
