Detention for rape lie teenager

A teenager who lied about being raped has been sentenced to six months' detention.

Carli Purvis from Wearside admitted perverting the course of justice by making a false rape claim, at an earlier hearing.

The 18-year-old of Park Avenue, Washington, was sentenced on Tuesday at Newcastle Crown Court.

Her lies led to a 23-year-old male nurse being questioned by police before her story was exposed.

Purvis had met the nurse in Stevie Y's nightclub, in Washington, after having an argument with her boyfriend, the father of her one-year-old daughter.

'Avoid trouble'

The court heard she went with the man to his mother's house where they got into bed together, but nothing happened and he later asked her to leave.

After leaving, Purvis phoned her boyfriend and said she had been attacked in the street.

Police arrested the nurse, but soon realised he was innocent.

He has since quit his job unable to cope with the consequences of being arrested.

Prosecutor Alec Burns told the court: "She said she had been raped to avoid the obvious trouble that she had left the club with another man."

He said 16 police officers, two doctors, forensic scientists and 254 man hours had been involved in investigating the lies.

'Serious offence'

Jamie Adams, defending, told the court: "What she did was born out of stupidity, naivety and irresponsibility.

"She never imagined that making an allegation it would go as far as it did and she did not think anyone would be arrested for it."

He said when she found out someone had been arrested she admitted she had been telling lies.

Sentencing her to six months' detention in a young offenders' institute, Judge Guy Whitburn QC said: "The offence is so serious nothing other than custody can be jusified."