‘False sex case sent my wife to an early grave’

stands to reason,” Mr Bryant told

“If Dorset police had given us a timely apology that would have helped Lynn. That is all we really wanted. What really upset her was that we asked for the paperwork on the police case and they said, ‘You cannot have it because it would go against Danny Day’s human rights’.”

Mrs Bryant’s detective work was a major factor in securing his release. Evidence uncovered by her and her legal team showed Mr Day, who waived his anonymity, had sought medical help for compulsive lying.

Mr Bryant said: “She was remarkable, the way she stood by me.” He added, his voice breaking with emotion: “I would still be in prison if it were not for her. She worked tirelessly.”

Rupert Butler, the Bryants’ lawyer who is bringing a claim against police, said: “Lynn Bryant was a woman of incredible faith. When her world collapsed in 2012 she stayed true to her instincts and stuck by her hero, Dave.

“She suffered social isolation and attacks on her house, gruelling journeys between Christchurch and Dartmoor for prison visits and financial hardships, even having to sell her jewellery.

“I have no doubt that the stress of these last four years of fighting tooth-and-nail took a considerable physical toll on Lynn that finally broke her body...hers and Dave’s is an extraordinary love story that deserved a far longer final chapter.”

Dorset police were unavailable for comment yesterday. A spokesman has said: “Dorset Police takes allegations of this nature very seriously and conducted a very thorough and detailed investigation. The findings of the investigation were passed to the Crown Prosecution Service who chose to prosecute.”