A 42-year-old man from Newtownbutler has been jailed for 15 months for perverting the course of justice after making a false allegation of rape against his ex-partner.

Pearse Crudden, of Gortgommon Park, contacted police in February 2018 claiming he had been sexually assaulted but gave officers inconsistent accounts. He first said the assault happened 10 days earlier after the pair had been drinking. He later changed the timeline to earlier the same day, then to two days before.

When officers attended his home, they found Crudden intoxicated and unwilling to provide details. He declined a specialist medical examination, did not supply intimate samples, and repeatedly avoided police contact. An appointment for interview in April 2019 was missed.

The victim was arrested, held in custody for 16 hours, and compelled to provide intimate samples. After being bailed, he alerted police that Crudden was sending him messages via WhatsApp, gaming sites, and other platforms. The victim blocked Crudden but showed the messages to officers; some contained admissions that the allegation had been invented. Crudden was arrested but continued to insist his account was truthful.

At court, prosecuting counsel Michael McAleer stated that the complaint was clear and unambiguous but, apart from the false claim, there was no evidence of any crime. Defence counsel Michael Ward said the relationship ended around 2016 and Crudden had experienced mental health difficulties, though no medical report confirming a personality disorder was provided. Judge Richard Greene noted the lack of independent medical evidence and questioned whether the information came solely from Crudden.

Mr McAleer highlighted that only Crudden and the victim knew the allegation was false, yet Crudden did not admit guilt until November—more than three years after the initial report. The delay, he said, compounded the victim’s suffering.

Passing sentence, Judge Greene said the false claim was motivated by malice and had left the victim fearing the worst. Crudden was also made subject to a five-year restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim.