A US woman’s lie about being raped set off a chain of events that resulted in her neighbour’s death.

Brittany Sorey contacted police last month and reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a man who forced his way into her apartment in Largo, Florida.

She alleged a man of Hispanic appearance forced his way in and used a broken broom handle and a box cutter to “vaginally penetrate her” according to a police report.

Brittany Sorey's lie to police about being raped eventually lead to her neighbour in Largo Florida being killed. (Facebook)

The 30-year-old maintained her story when re-interviewed by detectives later.

At the time of Sorey’s claim, she and her husband Gerald, were behind in their rent and had been handed an eviction notice.

After making the sexual assault report, the mother-of-five and her family moved out of the Largo apartment and allowed a male friend to take up the lease.

On May 10, the friend was at the apartment when a neighbour who Sorey allegedly owes money to started banging on the front door, unaware Sorey and her husband had moved out.

Brittany Sorey claimed a man of hispanic appearance forced his way into her Florida apartment and sexually assaulted her. (Facebook)

Sorey’s friend then called her to tell her what was happening and she told him the person knocking on the door sounded like the man who sexually assaulted her, according to a police report.

The friend then exited the apartment to try and take a photo of the man banging on the front door when the neighbour reportedly attacked him.

During the confrontation, the friend killed the neighbour, claiming self-defence.

After a police investigation into the neighbour’s death began, Sorey admitted to detectives that she was not raped and she made the story up.