Sutherland was sentenced at Kirkwall Sheriff Court

A woman who set off a major police investigation after falsely claiming she was raped by a stranger in Orkney, has been spared a custodial sentence.

Gayle Sutherland, 20, claimed she had been raped on her way home through Kirkwall in December 2007.

Extra officers from outside Orkney were drafted in. However she later admitted she had made up the allegations.

Sutherland was sentenced to 300 hours of community service at Kirkwall Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Graeme Napier said Sutherland came across as a selfish young lady whose actions had had an insidious effect on the community, but that she deserved some credit for admitting her guilt.



