False rape claims in 2004 and 2007
One News
May 3 2007
False rape complainant sorry
A South Auckland woman now admits she went to great lengths to stage a home invasion rape scene in the hope she might lure back a married man she had had a brief affair with.
Nicola May, 41, admitted making a false statement, said sorry to the court and made a plea to genuine rape victims to still come forward, despite what she has done.
May was not raped at gunpoint, there was no intruder and no one posing as an undercover policeman.
Instead she admits she fabricated the story and inflicted her own wounds to make it look like she was raped at her flat at Papakura.
Her lawyer Colin Amery says his client is extremely remorseful. On Thursday, she said sorry in a letter to the court, especially to genuine rape victims.
"I hope that my actions do not stop you from seeking help and coming forward and seeking help because the help that is available from the police and from other support agencies is the absolute best that is available and at every moment you will be treated with respect," she says.
The police officer in charge of the case, Neil Grimstone says the genuine victim will be treated professionally, with courtesy and sympathy, "however the liar will be found out and will be fronted before the courts".
It appears the motive in this case was love - a brief affair with a married man ended but she wanted him back.
"It was an attention seeking situation," says Grimstone.
The court heard how May cut her phone line, tore her clothing, injured herself and ripped out clumps of her own hair to make the rape look real. When she was finished, she told police she then physically made herself throw up.
It's not the first time May has cried rape. Police say investigations uncovered another false allegation three years ago.
"She's obviously going to try and put her life back in order. It's a very difficult time for her," says Amery.
"It's the start of the process. That's all I have to say now, thank you," says May.
And this case has another cost - nearly $60,000 from a police investigation totalling 670 man-hours. Grimstone says that's a huge amount of time and effort.
May had no supporters in court on Thursday. She will undergo a psychiatric assessment before she is sentenced next month.
The charge of making a false statement carries a penalty of three months in prison or a fine of up to $2,000.
Three News
May 3 2007; 11:25
Woman pleads guilty to making false statement about rape
The woman who claimed she had been raped by a police impersonator has pleaded guilty in a South Auckland court to making a false statement.
41-year-old Nicola Alison May, a former pharmacist, will be sentenced next month.
She injured herself last month to fool investigators and regain the attention of a married man she had had an affair with.
May, also made a false complaint in 2004.
Police say they wasted $60,000 and 670 hours on a manhunt over the false complaint and that the inquiry harmed other investigations.
However, Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Grimstone says the recent Bazley report criticised police for their handling of women's complaints, but this case shows officers can be trusted
Newswire
May 3 2007; 18:06
Police Officer Doubted Description Of Attacker
The police officer investigating the false rape claim by Auckland woman Nicola May says it was her description of the attacker that aroused his suspicions.
The 41-year-old pleaded guilty at the Papakura District Court this morning to making a false statement to police after claiming she was sexually violated by a man posing as a plain clothed police officer.
The investigation lasted three days before she admitted the attack was self-inflicted.
Senior Sergeant Neil Grimstone says the description of the armed plainclothes officer did not make sense.
Meanwhile, May hopes her actions won't stop legitimate victims from speaking out.
Outside the court May said the police treated her with respect and compassion and urged legitimate rape victims to come forward to police.
Police hold little hope of recovering the $60,000 the investigation cost to run.
Newswire
May 3 2007; 17:11
Cost Recovery Unlikely In False Rape Complaint: Police
Police say they're unlikely to recover the $60,000 cost of their investigation into a south Auckland rape complaint that turned out to be false.
A 41 year old woman, Nicola May, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to police at the Papakura District Court this morning.
Last month May concocted an elaborate story about how she was sexually violated by a man posing as a plain clothed police officer.
She went to great lengths to make her complaint appear valid, after being rejected by a lover.
The court heard that it seems unlikely the cost of the intensive police investigation can be recovered, given May's circumstances.
May will be sentenced in June.
Newswire
May 3 2007
Woman Admits Faking Rape Complaint
A 41-year-old south Auckland woman has admitted she lied about being viciously raped, a claim that sparked a major police investigation.
At Papakura District Court this morning, sickness beneficiary Nicola May pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement to the police.
The court heard that in April she developed an elaborate story about how a man posing as a plain clothes police officer forced his way into her home.
May pulled out her own hair, used a hammer to induce bleeding, and to make what appeared to be the trauma resulting from a sexual attack.
During the hearing, May's lawyer described the situation as very sad, saying he has organized a psychological assessment.
She will be sentenced next month
Radio New Zealand
May 3 2007; 17:52
Woman admits faking rape complaint
A south Auckland woman has admitted she lied about being raped, a claim that sparked a major police investigation.
At Papakura District Court on Thursday, sickness beneficiary Nicola May, 41, pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement to police.
The court heard that she developed an elaborate story in April about a man posing as a plain-clothes police officer and forcing his way into her home.
Police say she pulled out her own hair and used a hammer to induce bleeding and to make what appeared to be the trauma resulting from a sexual attack. She was trying to get the attention of a married man with whom she had recently had a sexual relationship.
Outside court May said police treated her with respect and compassion and urged legitimate rape victims to come forward.
During the hearing, May's lawyer, Colin Amery, said his client has problems with depression and alcohol abuse. He described the situation as very sad, saying he has organised a psychological assessment. She will be sentenced next month.
The incident sparked a three-day $60,000 police investigation.The court heard that it is unlikely the cost of the investigation can be recovered, given May's circumstances.
One News
May 3 2007
Guilty plea for false rape complaint
The woman who sparked a major police inquiry after she falsely made a rape allegation has pleaded guilty.
Nicola May, 41, pleaded guilty to lying about being brutally raped by a man impersonating a policeman.
The prosecution says May went to elaborate lengths to try to convince authorities that she had been raped, including injuring herself and trashing her apartment.
May told police the the rapist tricked his way into her home by posing as an undercover police officer, threatened her with a hand gun and sexually assaulted her over a three hour period.
In court on Thursday she apologised in a letter to the court. And after her appearance, May urged victims of rape and sexual abuse not to let her actions affect them.
The charge of making a false statement carries a penalty of three months in prison or a fine of up to $2,000.
May will be sentenced in June.
Stuff
May 3 2007
False rape claim made after lover's rejection
by Kim Ruscoe with NZPA
A Papakura woman deliberately fabricated a home-invasion rape scene to get the attention of a former lover.
Nicola Alison May, 41, a sickness beneficiary who previously worked as a pharmacist, pleaded guilty to making a false rape complaint when she appeared in Papakura District Court today. She was remanded on bail in order to reappear for sentencing on June 8.
In a brief statement outside the court she said she had only one thing to say and it was directed at victims of rape or sexual abuse.
"I hope that my actions do not stop you from coming forward in seeking help because the help that is available from the police and other support agencies is the absolute best that is available," she said.
May said that at every moment police would treat victims of sexual abuse with respect and without judgement.
"Please don't let my actions stand in your way."
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Tony Easter said May had become attracted to one of the labourers who helped her move into flat, shortly before the alleged false rape, and they had sex on one occasion. The next time they met, the man, who was married with a young family, ended the affair because of feelings of guilt.
May became depressed and upset and started to think about ways to regain his attention. She decided to say that she had been raped and started planning how the 'scenario' would be played out.
Once 'raped' she planned to go to the doctor and present the appropriate trauma which she believed would satisfy that it was a genuine rape.
Police said she made numerous preparations before the she laid the false rape complaint with the doctor. She cut her telephone line, pulled out clumps of her hair, rubbed her knees on the carpet until they bled and scratched her buttocks.
Police said she did not want police to be involved but they were called after she went to the doctor.
Police said after three days she confessed that it was a false complaint.
They also said their inquiries revealed an earlier false rape allegation in May 2004.
The police inquiry cost more than $59,000 and although reparation was sought they did not expect it to be paid because May was an alcoholic with a dependency on prescription drugs.
Her lawyer, Colin Amery, said it was "a very sad case and showed how an event with relatively innocent intentions could escalate."
Newstalk ZB
May 3 2007; 10:52
Guilty plea over fake rape complaint
The South Auckland woman who falsely claimed to have been raped at gunpoint by a man posing as a plainclothes police officer last month has pleaded guilty.
Forty-one-year-old Nicola May appeared in the Papakura District Court this morning, where a name suppression order was lifted.
The prosecution says May went to elaborate lengths to try to convince authorities that she had been raped, including injuring herself and trashing her apartment
NZ Herald
May 3 2007; 11:25
Woman made false rape claim after jilted by lover
by David Eames with NZPA
A woman who claimed she was raped in her home by a man pretending to be a police officer today admitted in court that she made up the allegation.
The court heard Nicola Alison May fabricated the allegation after being jilted by a lover.
The Papakura woman potentially faces a $60,000 bill in police and other costs after sparking a major inquiry last month.
Speaking outside court, May told a large media contingent that genuine rape victims not to be put off going to police.
She said: "I hope that my actions do not stop you from coming forward in seeking help because the help that is available from the police and other support agencies is the absolute best that is available."
May, 41, pleaded guilty to one charge of making a false allegation to police when she appeared in the Papakura District Court today.
The court was told that May developed an attraction to a man who helped her move into her Papakura home, but when he broke it off because he was married and felt guilty she wanted to do something to win back his affections.
Before she went to a doctor to lay the false complaint May made numerous preparations.
Police said she cut her telephone line, pulled out clumps of her hair, rubbed her knees on the carpet until they bled and scratched her buttocks.
She also put a condom over a hammer handle and used it to create sexual attack trauma.
She did not want police to be involved but they were called after she went to the doctor, the court was told.
Police said after three days May confessed it was a false complaint.
A police summary of facts read to the court revealed May had also made a false rape allegation in 2004 but that complaint was not forwarded to police.
That complaint came to light through inquiries into her past and that of her previous partners.
May was remanded on bail to June 8 for sentencing. A psychiatric report and reparation report are pending.
The total cost of the inquiry into the false complaint was $59,382, made up chiefly of 670 police man-hours, which totalled $48,119.
The rest of the bill was comprised of medical examination costs, cleaning, forensic and security services.
Police said in court that attempting to reclaim the money from May may not be realistic as May is an alcoholic with a dependency on prescription drugs.
No comments:
Post a Comment