’TRAUMATIC’: Woman jailed after false rape accusations cause taxi driver to lose job and marriage
A taxi driver, who lost both his job and his marriage as a result of false rape accusations, was relieved to see the woman responsible brought to justice and jailed for over three years.
The cabbie also expressed his gratitude to Warwickshire Police after being cleared of a false rape allegation that upended his life.
The incident dates back to March 2021 when the woman claimed she had been raped by the driver during a journey from Tamworth to Warwick. The driver was swiftly identified and arrested, but he consistently denied the accusation during interviews. Released on bail, he awaited the results of the police investigation.
It wasn’t long before the woman’s story began to collapse. As the case unravelled, she found herself under investigation for perverting the course of justice. Key to proving the driver’s innocence was the work of Crime Intelligence Analyst Brady Andrews, who meticulously reviewed automatic number-plate recognition, telecommunications data, and GPS records. These tools confirmed that the taxi had not remained stationary for more than 12 seconds during the journey, making the alleged attack impossible.
In September, Emma Bayley, 42, appeared at Warwick Crown Court where she was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison after admitting to perverting the course of public justice.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the taxi driver said: “I am very grateful to everyone for their hard work and dedication, going above and beyond to fight for justice in this case. Had the lies not been uncovered, it is likely I would have been charged with rape, remanded in custody and faced a trial.
“Dealing with an allegation like this, when you know you are innocent, is genuinely traumatic. I can’t understand why someone would make up an allegation like this, undermining all those genuine victims of rape by doing so.”
Lead investigator, Detective Sergeant Magnus McAuley from Warwickshire Police CID, said: “Fortunately cases like this are extremely rare but when they happen the courts treat them extremely seriously. This is a reflection of the torment they cause to the person falsely accused and the police resources they tie up.
“The impact this false allegation had on the victim has been immense and I hope he can take some comfort from the sentence handed down as he attempts to rebuild his life.
“All reports of rape and sexual assault are treated with the upmost seriousness and will be fully investigated. False allegations mean police resources are diverted from genuine victims of serious crime.
“The evidence we found that the allegation was false was so overwhelming, we were left in no doubt that we owed it to the falsely accused man to bring her to justice.”
