Morning:
13°c
An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
London faces a wave of bus and Tube strikes that could cause chaos for millions of passengers as unions walkout over pay and conditions
More...
Woman accused of crying rape is jailed
Last updated at 12:52pm on 03.11.06
False accusation: Sally Henderson now faces a year behind bars
A woman was jailed today for making false rape allegations against her ex-husband.
Sally Henderson, 40, from Woodmancote, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, was jailed for one year after claiming she had been the subject of a string of sex attacks.
More here...
• Anguish of accuser as student president is cleared of rape
Mature student Henderson was found guilty of perverting the course of justice following a week-long trial at Gloucester Crown Court in September.
Mother-of-two Henderson lied about her long distance lorry driver husband Richard Cooke, 39, raping her during their brief marriage in 2004.
Five years earlier, she had made similar claims against her then live-in lover Mark Rowe, from Launceston, Cornwall.
Passing sentence at Bristol Crown Court today, Recorder David Lane QC said: "You told a series of wicked lies against both men and in particular Mr Cooke.
"The jury may have formed the view, as I did, that you are a skilful actress who is adept at making people believe that you are a victim when you are nothing of the sort."
The judge added: "You framed an innocent man, you accused him of the most serious offence to be brought against a man in the criminal calendar.
"The case against your husband was rot and the spotlight was turned against you."
The judge had lifted a reporting restriction allowing Henderson to be named following the guilty verdict.
During the trial, she claimed that her ex-husband, who she met on an internet dating site, had viewed her as a sex object, had demanded sex constantly and had raped her at a friend's wedding reception.
But the jury was told that the allegations were almost identical to previous claims made by Henderson against another former boyfriend, farmer Mark Rowe, 42.
Both men were questioned by police but neither was charged with any offence. Lynne Matthews, prosecuting, described Henderson as "wicked" for making up the allegations.
She said: "Sally Henderson is a wicked liar. There is nothing more wicked that a woman can do against her husband or partner than claim rape."
Mr Cooke had told the court that he had never attacked his ex-wife. He said he had suffered serious injuries in a crash shortly after his marriage to Henderson which had left him unable to perform sexually.
Mr Cooke said his wife had become increasingly angry with him due to his sexual dysfunction. He said: "Because of the problems I was having, I was unable to fulfil my wife. She had a very healthy sexual appetite."
Mr Rowe, a father from Launceston, Cornwall, was also accused of raping Henderson. He told the court that he met her in 1999 and they started a relationship shortly afterwards.
But he broke off the relationship after Henderson tried to pressurise him into marriage. He denied ever raping her, saying she was sexually in control of their relationship.
After breaking off the relationship, Mr Rowe said he was arrested by police after Henderson complained of being raped by him.
He said: "It was quite shocking to have three or four police officers arrest you, manhandle you and take you away for something you've never done."
Henderson, who represented herself in court today after sacking her legal team, showed no emotion as she was sentenced. Mitigating, she said: "I've told the truth, I've not made up any allegations."
