Gainsborough mum spared jail over false assault claim

A Gainsborough woman who falsely claimed she was assaulted by her partner has been spared jail after a judge described it as a 'wholly exceptional case'.
Lincoln Crown CourtLincoln Crown Court
Lincoln Crown Court

Charlotte Guilliatt, 26, made a complaint to police that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Daniel Wilkinson, on Boxing Day last year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the false allegation led to Mr Wilkinson being held in custody for eight hours.

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Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Guilliatt that almost every case of perverting the course of public justice resulted in a short prison sentence.

But the judge said he accepted there was a domestic background to the couple’s relationship which made it an “exceptional case.”

Ian West, prosecuting, said Guilliatt made the false complaint at around 7pm on Boxing Day after going to a pub.

Mr West told the court: “The prosecution accept that Guilliatt in drink did something very stupid.

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“Any suggestion that it was pre-meditated or malicious other than by drink is not advanced.

“It was however completely false. The aggravating feature is that Mr Wilkinson was arrested and spent eight hours in custody.”

Guilliatt, of Gordon Street, Gainsborough, pleaded guilty to doing an act which perverted the course of public justice on 26 December, 2017.

The court heard Guilliatt had no previous convictions and was the mother of a young child.

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She was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Judge Pini told Guilliatt he was sure a custodial sentence would harm her child.

The judge also made it clear he was only passing a suspended sentence because of the couple’s exceptional domestic background which had been documented by the police.