Woman's false allegations lead to longer sentence

A woman from Farnworth, Bolton, has faced severe consequences after being convicted of making multiple false rape allegations against ten innocent men. Stacey Sharples, 31, had her jail term increased by two years and six months following the Attorney General's intervention. Ellie Reeves KC MP referred her case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, highlighting the serious implications of her actions.

Sharples had a history of contacting men online between 2013 and 2020, arranging meetings where she would then fabricate stories of rape to the police. This resulted in eight police investigations, causing significant turmoil for the victims involved. Many of these men were arrested and detained, with the entire process consuming over 550 hours of police time and resources.

The court was presented with personal statements from several victims, detailing the adverse effects of Sharples's false claims on their lives. These included the loss of jobs and relationships, as well as long-lasting damage to their mental health. One victim’s statement noted that the accusations resulted in an inability to forge new relationships.

The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, stated that “Stacey Sharples lied, repeatedly and deliberately, causing significant harm to ten victims and wasting hundreds of hours of police time that should have gone towards supporting genuine victims”. She emphasised that while cases like this are rare, they should not deter authentic survivors from coming forward.

Reeves added that “Anyone who seeks to exploit or undermine genuine acts of violence against women and girls must be held to account” and expressed gratitude towards the police for their diligence in revealing the truth. On 11 March 2026, Sharples was initially sentenced to four years and six months for ten counts of perverting the course of justice. However, following the appeal, her sentence was increased to seven years on 9 September 2026, reflecting the severity of her actions.