Man who cried rape against gay ex given 10 months in prison
A 22-YEAR-old man who lied that he had been raped by his ex has been jailed for 10 months.
Judge Patrick Lynch QC told Kevin Beeton, from Lisburn, that despite his guilty plea and expressions of remorse, his lies could have hurt public confidence in the justice system.
The judge told Craigavon Crown Court the authorities had always regarded this type of activity as serious, not only for the distress caused to the victim, but also the impact it could have on people making genuine claims.
Judge Lynch also stressed that Beeton had made up his false allegations against his former boyfriend as an act of “vengeance upon him”.
The defendant, from Lawnmount Crescent, pleaded guilty to committing an act with intent to pervert the course of public justice on New Year’s Eve in 2015. He reported to police that he was raped by a male, which he knew was a false accusation.
Prosecution barrister Joseph Murphy said that in the early hours of the day in question, Beeton made a 999 call claiming he was the victim of rape. He later told police he had been attacked by a former boyfriend.
Mr Murphy said that Beeton claimed he had been momentarily knocked out and when he regained consciousness he was being raped. He alleged he was then struck on the back of the head, causing him to pass out.
As a result of the defendant’s allegations, his former lover was detained by police for 12 hours.
The court heard that the man was able to provide an alibi for the night in question, which was backed-up by two others, including his father. Police investiga- tions also contradicted Beeton’s claims of what he was doing before the alleged attack.
Mr Murphy said that when the matter was put to him, Beeton admitted making up the allegation because he “simply wasn’t thinking straight”.
He also apologised for wasting the 170 hours police had spent on their investigation, at a cost just short of £3,000.
Defence barrister Peter Coiley said his client’s guilty plea, at the first opportunity, was an indication “of his genuine remorse, shame and embarrassment”.
Mr Coiley said Beeton had wanted “to get back at the victim” and had made an impulsive call to the police and had “foolishly continued with the lie for four days”.
The lawyer added later that Beeton wanted to put “this sorry chapter in his life behind him and to move on”.