A woman from Shiremoor, North Tyneside, caused an innocent man to be held in a police cell for seven hours after fabricating evidence against him. Amelia Harrison, 22, falsely reported that the victim had breached a non-molestation order by texting her, leading to his arrest while he was supposed to pick up his wife from the hospital.
False Report and Arrest
Newcastle Crown Court heard that there had been issues between Harrison and the man, resulting in a non-molestation order being imposed in February 2024. However, there had been no finding of guilt against him. In July 2024, Harrison contacted police claiming the man had breached the order by sending her a text message. She showed officers a screenshot of what appeared to be a message from his phone.
The following day, the man was arrested and taken to a North Tyneside police station, where he was held in custody for seven hours before being released on bail. The arrest meant he could not collect his wife from the hospital after her operation.
Investigation Uncovers Deception
On July 14, a police officer visited Harrison's home for further inquiries. Prosecutor Rachel Glover said Harrison was "cagey" and claimed her phone was elsewhere, asking if the case could be dropped. The phone was later found in her father's bedroom, and when examined, the text message was shown to have been sent from Harrison's own number.
In a victim impact statement, the man expressed anxiety and depression, stating he knew he was innocent and did not deserve to be in a cell. He said he constantly worried about being arrested again due to a lie and did not understand why Harrison wanted to cause such distress.
Guilty Plea and Sentence
Harrison pleaded guilty to doing acts tending to pervert the course of justice between July 9 and 15, 2024. She was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, she received a restraining order and was ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.
Defending, Rachel Hedworth said Harrison was "utterly remorseful" and had made significant progress since the incident, now being in employment. She noted that there had been hostility between the parties but stressed that it did not excuse Harrison's actions.
