'Vile lies' of woman jailed after driving ex-boyfriend to brink of suicide by accusing him of rape



Andrew Tutty: He was also suspended from his job over the false rape claim



A woman who falsely accused her ex-boyfriend of rape when he broke off their relationship was jailed yesterday for her 'vile lies'.

Louise Johnson, 37, drove Andrew Tutty to the brink of suicide after he was arrested and suspended from his job.

After accusing the care worker of the rape, Johnson then took out an injunction against her former lover whom she claimed was continuing to harass her.

The mother-of-one then contacted police again to claim Mr Tutty had turned up at her home with a knife, ordered her to strip and then threatened to rape her.

Yesterday a judge told Johnson she was guilty of telling 'lies of the most vile kind' as Mr Tutty told of the 'devastating' impact of the case on his life.

The 41-year-old was arrested twice, had his DNA swabbed and spent two-and-a-half months on police bail until he was able to prove his innocence when CCTV proved he was with his son at a train station 160 miles away when Johnson claimed he turned up at her home with the knife.

Mr Tutty, from Dudley, West Midlands, said: 'I couldn't believe it when I was arrested by the police. It was devastating - especially as I was suspended from my job over it.

'It has been a long slow two years during which my name has been dragged through the mud. I have been through hell.

'It has been a nightmare and I would not be on this earth if it had not been for the support of friends and family. I would be six feet under.'

The couple met through their jobs as carers at a residential care home for disturbed young people.



They had only been going out for two months before Mr Tutty ended the relationship in March 2007.

Alka Brigue, prosecuting, said Johnson took Mr Tutty's decision to finish the relationship 'very badly'.

He was first arrested on suspicion of rape in July 2007. Johnson claimed he had forced her to perform a sex act on him but the incident never took place.

The following month Johnson took out the injunction and a short time later Mr Tutty was arrested again after she claimed that, armed with the knife, he arrived at her home in Tividale, West Midlands, ordered her to strip and threatened to rape her.

Miss Brigue said: 'Johnson claimed he turned up at her home and assaulted her. He took clothes off and attempted to rape her.



'She said there were blows to various parts of her body from his hands and fists. He also brandished a knife.'

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard at that precise time Mr Tutty had been filmed on CCTV boarding a train in Gosport, Hampshire, with his son.

In a victim impact statement filed with the court, Mr Tutty described how Johnson's lies caused him 'considerable distress and discomfort'.

He has since been reinstated to his job.

Johnson then complained she had received a string of text messages from Mr Tutty and that he had again assaulted her but, at the time, he had been attending his mother's 67th birthday party before going straight to work.

Analysis of Johnson's phone suggested she had sent the messages herself, a source said.

The court heard Johnson had made a string of allegations against other people over the previous 12 years.

It is understood she had accused a man of raping her in 2005, although charges were never proceeded with.

The court heard Johnson suffered from a personality disorder.

Samantha Powis, defending, said Johnson had suffered from abuse as a child. Her alleged tormentor was acquitted after a trial.

Miss Powis said Johnson 'accepts these were gravely serious allegations and they not only undermined him but those who make genuine complaints.'

Johnson admitted perverting the course of justice. Judge Nicholas Syfret QC told her the two arrests had a 'huge impact' on the life of Mr Tutty.

Jailing her for 18 months, Judge Syfret said: 'He felt suicidal and it affected his work. These allegations were not only embarrassing but they meant he was suspended fromdoing his job.'

The judge said there were people who felt 'there is no smoke without fire' and, while he was completely innocent, they would believe there was some truth in the allegations.

'There was not a word of truth in what you said,' the Recorder told Johnson.



'A colossal strain was put on police resources while they investigated these complaints and you also undermined the causes of genuine people who had been the subject of serious complaints.'

He told her only a custodial sentence could be justified because the offence she had committed made it notoriously difficult for women who had been raped to get justice.



