‘Sex predator,’ Stacy Sharples falsely accused 10 men of raping her in a ‘wicked pack of lies’ that ruined their lives and cost the public purse around £120,000
A mum is facing jail for falsely accusing 10 men of rape after telling police a “wicked pack of lies.” Several of the men were held in police custody for hours, while others endured months on bail or under investigation following Stacy Sharples’ bogus claims.
Some had consensual sex with her and others had absolutely no intimate contact whatsoever. When she later bumped into one of the, on the street, she told him: “They’re not pressing charges. I’ve got away with it. Yet again.”
The mum now faces a custodial sentence after pleading guilty to 10 charges of perverting the course of justice. Her fraudulent accusations cost taxpayers approximately £120,000, Bolton Crown Court was told.
The judge stated: “I want to make it clear to anybody that reads anything about their names anywhere, that these men’s lives have been blighted by unfortunate allegations which have been made involving some sort of sexual offending, none of which are true at all.
“Only belatedly by her pleas has she now acknowledged that it was all a wicked pack of lies.”
Her solicitor said that he could provide “no satisfactory explanation” for her crimes, but noted there had been “concerns about her mental health and intellect for a significant period,” reports the Manchester Evening News.
Sharples’ first victim was Kaylum Davies who had been exchanging messages with her after being introduced through a friend.
Mr Davies described Sharples as quiet and mostly engrossed in her mobile phone when they met. She later told her brother and father that Mr Davies and other men had coerced her into performing a sex act on him.
She went on to allege she had been assaulted by nine men and threatened with a blade. The prosecution dismissed her accusations as a ‘complete fabrication’, insisting he’d had no intimate contact with her whatsoever.
Mr Davies was detained and questioned. Sharples declined to attend an appointment at a sexual assault referral centre. He wasn’t charged, but remained on bail for 18 months. Officers had concerns about contradictions in her allegations.
A second victim, James Blundell, arranged to meet Sharples after connecting through the dating platform Plenty of Fish. She asked him to visit a hostel where she was staying.
They had sex but he left after she made remarks that left him uncomfortable. She sent him messages, questioning why he had gone and why he wasn’t replying. Sharples subsequently informed hostel workers that someone had done something to her “which she did not want” and they called police.
Mr Blundell was arrested and remained in police custody for 17 hours before being questioned. He was released under investigation for six months.
Months afterwards, a third victim, Astron Inman, encountered Sharples through Facebook after she ‘randomly’ befriended him. They arranged to meet after Sharples forwarded him a topless photograph of herself.
They had sex but she later contacted police to report a brutal and aggressive attack. She also alleged that Mr Inman had added her on Facebook.
Mr Inman was arrested and spent eight hours in police custody awaiting questioning. He handed over his Facebook and police uncovered the real story.
Sharples contacted Andrew Dearden via Plenty of Fish. They engaged in consensual intercourse and afterwards, Sharples enquired whether they were now in a relationship.
When they separated, Mr Dearden was ‘inundated’ with texts from her, demanding to know his whereabouts, his activities and whether he loved her. She also requested another meeting.
They arranged to meet at a Cash Generator store close to her home but told Mr Dearden to remain outside.
Upon entering the shop, she telephoned police and claimed that she’d been assaulted by Mr Sharples the previous evening. Officers arrived and arrested him at the scene.
He remained in police custody for eight-and-a-half hours before being questioned. She declined to attend a scheduled interview with officers.
Reece Lockett and Conor Austin were also targets of Sharples. Mr Lockett encountered her via Plenty of Fish in late 2018. Mr Monaghan stated there was some intimate contact between the pair but that he didn’t pursue matters further because he considered her ‘weird’.
Sharples requested to meet him again in April 2019. She mentioned she would be with a mate, and Mr Lockett asked his cousin Mr Austin if he fancied joining them.
They went for a walk at a reservoir, but Mr Lockett had reconsidered his interest in Sharples. Afterwards, Mr Lockett refused to drive Sharples home but offered to drop her off close by.
Mr Monaghan stated Sharples was ‘irritated’ and told him ‘watch what happens now’. She dialled 999 and accused both men of rape.
Mr Lockett spent three hours in police custody, and Mr Austin two-and-a-half hours. Mr Lockett encountered Sharples in the street a couple of months afterwards.
They had an argument and Sharples ran into a chip shop and rang 999, claiming “there’s a guy I got done for rape a whilst ago threatening to kill me.”
She told him: “I’ve been let go. They’re not pressing charges. I’ve got away with it. Yet again.”
Anthony Green received numerous messages from Sharples before they met at his flat in June 2019. They engaged in sexual activity, but did not have intercourse, until she asked him to stop, which he did.
“All of this was done consensually,” the prosecution explained. Mr Green offered to arrange a taxi for her, which he did, and she left.
Mr Green then received a text claiming that he had hurt her, bitten and strangled her. “None of that was true”, the prosecution asserted.
She later contacted the police and dialled 999 to report that she had been sexually assaulted, alleging that Mr Green had strangled and bitten her before raping her. She told the police she ‘couldn’t get him off her and that he wouldn’t let her leave’.
Mr Green was arrested in 2019 and spent 12 hours in custody. The defendant subsequently altered her accusation, stating that he hadn’t done much of what she had initially claimed.
The case against him was dismissed in 2019. Andrew Jackson and Jack Byrne were two additional victims of Sharples’ false allegations.
Again, Sharples declined a medical examination, whilst forensic tests on her undergarments revealed no traces of semen.
Sharples’ final alleged victim was Lee Dixon, whom she encountered via the dating platform Badu. They exchanged ‘flirty’ messages just four days after Sharples had contacted police regarding Mr Byrne and Mr Jackson.
They engaged in consensual intercourse, which was evidenced by video footage that was recorded, prosecutors stated. Further intimate messages were sent between them that same day.
Prosecutor, Mr Monaghan explained: “‘Mr Dickinson’s first knowledge of any complaint was later that day when he was told the defendant had contact police and accused him of rape.”
Sharples wiped her portion of their WhatsApp conversation, though the remaining messages revealed they had been discussing how much they’d relished their intimate encounter.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Dickinson revealed his ordeal with the defendant and her fabricated accusations triggered a ‘mental breakdown’.
Following Sharples’ arrest, she informed officers: “You need to look into my mental health. That’s all I need to say.
You’ll never understand, I had a s*** upbringing. ” She also disclosed she suffered from emotionally unstable personality disorder.She continued: “I’m a ticking timebomb, you flip me off and I’ll flip back.”
Mr Monaghan described it as a ‘conservative estimate’ that the defendant had landed police, criminal justice, and sexual assault health services with a £120,000 bill through her bogus allegations, given the inquiries they triggered, plus all the police, legal and medical resources they demanded.
One victim revealed in an impact statement how he’d ‘moved to Sweden to reevaluate my life and I wasn’t part of my children’s life for a few years’.
He explained he now finds it difficult to approach women, stating: “I have a lot of hate for that girl, I hope she gets what she deserves, it makes me sick to my core. “
Several men revealed in their victim impact statements that they were barred from contact with their children following the accusations, were cast out by their families and friends, battled to establish any romantic connections, and have been left suffering from PTSD.
One man revealed the bogus claims against him plunged him into such despair he contemplated taking his own life. Another branded the defendant a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’.
Judge Clarke said: “I take the view that she was a sexual predator. This has taken resources away from genuine crime and genuine victims. “
Representing Sharples, Hunter Gray said Sharples ‘still struggles to accept full responsibility’ but has shown ‘some remorse’ and ‘some insight’. He acknowledged that a prison sentence was unavoidable in her case.
Sharples, of Lucas Road, Farnworth, admitted 10 counts of perverting the course of justice. She was remanded in custody.
She will be sentenced on March 11.