By Paul Higgins
A Co. Down woman who admitted making multiple false allegations about sexual assault was today (tues) warned she faces a prison sentence.
As Elizabeth Bates stood in the dock of Downpatrick Crown Court, defence KC Richard McConkey asked for the 26-year-old to be re-arraigned on the second count and accordingly, she admitted perverting the course of justice on 26 August 2022.
The particulars of the offence disclose how Bates perverted the course of justice by “making false statements to police alleging sexual assault.”
At an earlier hearing Bates, from Beaufort Walk in Ards, had admitted guilt to two further similar charges in that on 24 and 30 August 2022, she “made a statement to police containing false allegations.”
Following the defendant’s dock confession today (tues) prosecuting counsel David McClean asked for the one outstanding charge of perverting justice to be marked as “left on the books,” adding that the PPS will also be seeking a Victim Impact Statement.
Mr McConkey told the court that in addition to a pre-sentence report from the Probation Board, he will also be directing a medical report.
Adjourning the case to 20 June and freeing the self-confessed liar on bail, Judge Geoffrey Miller KC told Bates “offences of this nature are very serious because it impacts on the administration of justice.”
Such fake accusations also “impact on the livelihoods and well being and reputation of a person against whom an allegation is made,” the judge told Bates and warned her that “the custody threshold is inevitably crossed.”
Judge Miller warned that the question of whether that would be suspended or immediate, or whether there would be an alternative sentence, would hinge on the contents of the various reports so it would be in her best interests to co-operate.
The mother-of-three was in the headlines last July after her quick-thinking six-year-old son was captured on video asking an Amazon delivery driver for help after she collapsed.
Footage from her home’s ring doorbell went viral Wirth more than 20million views worldwide after it captured the little boy accepting a parcel from a delivery driver and asking him “to come and help his mummy”.
The boy takes the parcel from the driver before asking him “can you help my mummy? She’s fainted”. And after asking if his mummy is unwell, the driver then follows the six-year-old into the home and calls for an ambulance.
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