A woman has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after making false rape allegations about 10 men.

Stacey Sharples, 31, from Farnworth in Bolton, pleaded guilty on Monday at Bolton Crown Court to 10 counts of perverting the course of justice.

The allegations were made between 2013 and 2019, with most of the men arrested and spending time in custody, including some undertaking intimate examinations, said Greater Manchester Police.

They added that a number of the men lost their jobs or partners, were disowned by family and friends or saw declines in their mental health after being falsely branded a rapist.

Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, who investigated this case, said: “We took the allegations made by Stacey Sharples seriously, explored all lines of enquiry and swiftly made arrests or interviewed all the men she accused.

“We gave her multiple opportunities to provide further explanation or information to us, after interviews with the men and subsequent evidence uncovered didn’t align with her first recollection, as we understand that trauma can impact how victims and survivors recount their experiences.

“Ultimately, as the evidence continued to demonstrate that the reports were untrue, coupled with the desire for justice from some of the men who had been falsely accused, it was right that we followed the evidence and pursued the individual who had actually committed a criminal offence.

“I would like to pay tribute to the strength of these men, who have endured an experience no one would ever wish to go through, and done so with dignity. I hope they feel a sense of justice for what happened to them today.”

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