Courtney Clapham, 23, of Wallis Road, Louth, and formerly of Newport Walk, Immingham, has been jailed for three years and nine months after pleading guilty to three counts of perverting the course of justice. The charges arose from two incidents in which she stabbed herself in the leg and falsely told police she had been attacked by a male acquaintance, as well as fabricating allegations of sexual assault and rape.
Fabricated Allegations and Police Investigation
At Grimsby Crown Court, the court heard that Clapham had been working as a barmaid when she first met the complainant. Their relationship deteriorated, leading to accusations that the man and another woman had created fake social media profiles of her. Humberside Police launched an investigation but found no evidence, and no further action was taken.
Clapham forwarded images of bruised arms and cuts to her legs, falsely claiming they were inflicted by the man. She also contacted police using a false name, alleging that the man had raped a young girl. The man was arrested, and the girl was interviewed by officers, with social services also becoming involved.
Self-Inflicted Stabbings and Arrest
Clapham made numerous malicious calls to the police Force Control Room. On one occasion, she rang for an ambulance claiming she had been stabbed. Paramedics found her bleeding from her thigh with a knife still embedded in the wound. She told officers that a man had carried out the attack, and a friend claimed to have witnessed it. The man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm but denied any involvement.
Several days later, another call was made alleging Clapham had been stabbed again, this time in her calf. Officers found her with a knife protruding from her leg. The man was arrested, charged, and remanded in custody, but CCTV enquiries corroborated his account, and he was released.
Court Sentencing and Victim Impact
Judge Gurdial Singh described Clapham as "an utterly manipulative, wicked young woman making the most vile allegations and going to the extent of stabbing herself." He added, "You are a fantasist capable of making evil lies and prepared to make allegations that destroy their lives. It is utterly wicked." He imposed a ten-year Restraining Order preventing her from contacting the man.
Detective Sergeant Eve Tansley of Humberside Police's Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Investigation Team said: "The man in this case has been through the most excruciating and harrowing ordeal, being accused and depicted as a monster by Clapham, who had her own calculated agenda to try to ruin his life." The man, in a victim impact statement, said: "It was not just malicious, it was life-ruining."
Following sentencing, the man said: "Courtney nearly accomplished ruining my life; which I find myself still trying to piece together, even now. She has continuously lied about me, and absolutely nothing she has reported has been even a fraction of truth." He added, "Now she has finally pleaded guilty and admitted what she did to me, I feel like a weight has been lifted and the dark cloud that was following me has finally gone."
