Isleworth Crown Court was told that Mr Frith has since forgiven her

She was given suspended sentence and curfew but walked free yesterday

Bailed admitted perverting the course of justice by lodging false rape claim

Was let out on bail but it was five months before Bailey admitted she'd lied

After they split up last January she went to police and said he'd raped her

April Bailey, 34, of Woolwich, south east London, told police her former boyfriend had raped her and kept her lies going for five months before coming clean

A man spent 12 days locked up in a high security prison after his ex-girlfriend lied to police and falsely accused him of raping her.

April Bailey, 34, of Woolwich, south east London, gave officers a detailed account of the fictional 'assault' by Andrew Frith, 36, and attended a rape suite where she agreed to DNA swabs being taken.

Mr Frith spent 12 days in Belmarsh Prison, home to some of Britain's most dangerous criminals, before being allowed out on bail, and it was five months before Bailey eventually confessed to police that he hadn't raped her after all.

Yesterday Bailey walked free from court, despite admitting perverting the course of justice by accusing an innocent man and despite the judge telling her: 'What you did was an appalling thing.'

Prosecutor Ben Temple told Isleworth Crown Court that Bailey had had a 12-year 'on and off' relationship with Mr Frith before they broke up in January last year.

He said that that same month, Bailey went to police and complained that she had been raped by him.

'She said he tried to kiss her and she declined and he later threw her to the floor and punched her in the back, likening herself to a punchbag,' added Mr Temple.

'They went to sleep, she alleged, but as she woke he forced himself on her and made her have sex with him.'

Bailey claimed: 'I was crying and telling him: "No, I don't want to have sex with you".'

The court heard she was taken to a specialist suite for victims of sex crime, where bruising was noted, intimate swabs taken, and she gave a video-taped interview.

Mr Frith was arrested on January 27 and immediately told the officers: 'I think I know who this girl is. Was it April? That girl is crazy.'

The next day he was remanded in custody,and remained locked up for 12 days until he was granted conditional bail.

On February 6 Bailey again spoke to police and persisted with the fictitious rape-claim, despite details of her account proving false.

'She admitted to the officer that she lied about the manner in which she left the house and where she had gone,' explained the prosecutor.

'She apologised for that lie, but stressed the rest of her account was true and accurate.

'They built a case against Mr Frith, a prosecution case took shape, there were consultations with the Crown Prosecution Service, and a trial date set.'

High security: Mr Frith spent 12 days in Belmarsh Prison, home to some of Britain's most dangerous criminals

However five months later, Bailey went to police saying Mr Frith had not in fact raped her and admitting she had lied.

Mr Temple said: 'She said the bruising and injuries were nothing more than the result of heavy drinking and being restrained by Mr Frith.'

Bailey's lawyer, Frances Ridout, told the court: 'Mr Frith "tried it on", to use her words, and she was resisting and after numerous attempts she gave in and that's when consensual sex happened.

'Her friend convinced her it was rape and was wrong. She's a vulnerable young woman and her friend saw her emotional, upset and with bruises.'

She had sufficient time to say 'No, what I've done is wrong.'

She added: 'This was not a pre-planned or malicious allegation, but things getting out of control.'

Judge Douglas Moore said: 'She had sufficient time to say: "No, what I've done is wrong."

'She has made an allegation against an innocent man, fine-tuned the case and he spent 12 days detained and five months charged.'

'This must have made this man's life absolute hell. This is a bad offence and what must not be forgotten is the victim and his suffering.'

He added: 'What you did was an appalling thing and someone suffered very badly.'

Bailey was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, given an 18-month supervision order, given a six-month 8pm-8am curfew.