SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR CITY WOMAN FOR FALSE RAPE ALLEGATION

Date Published: 14-Oct-2008

A drunken woman who shouted “rape” when a taxi driver, whom she had refused to pay, threatened to take her to the Garda Station, was given two suspended prison sentences at Galway District Court yesterday.Judge Aeneus McCarthy imposed two consecutive two-month sentences on 26 year old Florence Healy of 190 Laurel Park, Newcastle, which he suspended for twelve months.He said that anyone who made a false allegation of rape should go to prison as it was a very, very serious offence.Florence Healy pleaded guilty to trying to make off without paying a €13 taxi fare, to breaching the peace, to being drunk in public and to assaulting the taxi driver.The driver threatened to take her straight to the Garda Station when she wouldn't pay her fare and at that point Healy started shouting, “rape”, while still in the taxi.Defence solicitor, Sean O’Carroll said his client was a single mother and her child would suffer if she received a custodial sentence. Imposing a two-month sentence on Healy for assaulting the taxi driver and a further two months for breaching the peace by shouting out “rape”, Judge McCarthy said anyone who made a false allegation of that nature should go to prison. He then suspended the sentence on condition Healy keep the peace and be of good behaviour for twelve months.