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A PROSTITUTE was sentenced to more than two years in jail after falsely accusing a man of raping her at knifepoint.

Shinaed Kelly, 20, was only on her second night as a sex worker when she accused the innocent man of attacking her in Liverpool city centre.

Martin Decker, prosecuting, said on September 24 last year, Kelly approached a policeman while she was working in Devon Street to complain of a man “acting weird”.

The officer spoke to a man and moved him on.

Mr Decker said: “Later that evening, she said she was raped by the same male who was harassing her earlier.

“He produced an 8in kitchen knife and held it to her throat.”

Kelly told police the man then raped her.

Police arrested a man and held him for 19 hours but after checking CCTV where the rape was supposed to have happened realised the story didn’t add up.

Six days later Kelly, of Green Lane, Birkenhead, admitted she lied.

Jeff Clarke, defending, said Kelly was immature.

Judge David Aubrey QC said every false allegation of rape made it harder for genuine victims to come forward.

He sentenced Kelly to 16 months in a young offenders institution, plus an extra year for robbing an Ipod from a 15-year-old girl.