Jailed: The soldier's cheating wife who claimed she was raped to cover up pregnancy while husband was in Afghanistan



Unfaithful wife given 12-month sentence



Human: Judge Mary Jane Mowat said Samantha Morley's story was 'very human' and 'understandable' but jailed the soldier's wife for perverting the course of justice

A soldier's wife cried rape after her husband worked out their baby was conceived while he was thousands of miles away on the Helmand frontline.

Samantha Morley told her partner Thomas she had been attacked while he was fighting in Afghanistan to cover up her infidelity.

He went to police and the 24-year-old repeated her claims, leading to the arrest of two innocent men.

But after police questioning, the mother-of-three admitted the allegations were an elaborate lie to conceal her affair.

Yesterday she wept as she was jailed for 12 months for perverting the course of justice. Morley, nine weeks’ pregnant with her fourth child, will only serve six months and not have the baby behind bars.

Oxford Crown Court had previously heard that Mr Morley, then her fiancé, grew suspicious after working out the timings of the girl’s birth last May.

When he confronted her in June, she claimed she had been raped during a drunken night out the previous summer.

The soldier in 23 Pioneer Regiment, based in Bicester, near Oxford, called police but as detectives delved deeper, they worked out she was lying. Despite the affair, Mr Morley stood by his fiancée and later married her.

Rachel Drake, prosecuting, said: ‘She said she had been out with her sister and they had been drinking.

‘She said she had been assaulted by a stranger in an alleyway and that she had picked up a small part of his name.’

Police visited the Morley home and took a statement during a two-hour interview. They estimated that more than 54 hours were spent investigating her claims.

DNA samples were taken from the couple and the baby. An e-fit picture was produced, which police thought matched the description of a local man. He was arrested and later released on police bail.

Morley then contacted the police and told them she had seen the rapist driving a blue Citroen Saxo car and officers were able to identify a second man. Mrs Drake said: ‘He said he met her the summer before and they had a relationship.

Jailed: Cheating wife Samantha Morley told her partner Thomas she had been attacked while he was fighting in Afghanistan to cover up her infidelity

‘He was able to point the police to computer records from Facebook that showed he had been in contact with Mrs Morley and was asked to resolve the paternity of her youngest child.

‘He thought the dates tallied with the time they spent together. He knew the defendant’s fiancé was away in Afghanistan when they conducted their liaison.’

Mrs Morley was arrested last July and initially insisted her allegation was true before realising how much officers knew.

Mrs Drake added that she had not expected her partner to call the police.

Morley kissed her husband as she entered the dock wearing a grey suit with her dark hair tied back yesterday.

He has left the Army to care for their children while she is in prison.

Sophie Murray, defending, said Morley had been afraid of losing her husband and had not acted out of malice.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat said: ‘The result for the two men suspected of one of the worst crimes in our law was undeniable.

‘The more the public hears about false allegations the less likely they, and juries, are to believe the true ones.’