Manchester woman's false rape allegation left police detective's life in tatters

A Manchester woman has been sentenced to more than two years in jail after admitting a rape allegation she made against a police officer was completely fabricated.

Halina Khan, from Salford, accused a Leicestershire police detective of raping her, despite never having met him. High court judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb labelled her allegation a "wicked crime" and sentenced Khan to two years and 3 months in jail.

"Rape is a profoundly hideous crime which all should find repulsive," Cheema-Grubb said. "I'm told you're remorseful, although there's no evidence of that other than your guilty please."

Khan, 40, made the allegation at the Regency Hotel in Leicester in November last year. She had called the police and said her car had been taken by her partner. When police arrived, she told them she was actually a prostitute and that a client had stolen her car. Khan pointed to what was presumed blood and implied the car thief had been injured.

Khan was arrested when officers suspected her of causing the injury. She hurled racial insults towards one of the police officers - a Sikh woman. It was then she alleged a police officer had raped her at the hotel the night before.

The accused man was visited by officers at his house, while he was home with his wife and son. He was taken to the police station for testing and interviews. Via a statement, the man said he was "completely stunned" and that his "world fell apart" from the ordeal.

"If I hadn't been able to prove my innocence, I'd have lost my liberty," the man said. "I can't explain why it affected me as it did." According to Manchester Evening News, the officer was off work for six months battling depression and anxiety.

Khan later told police officers at the station "I made it up, there, I made it up", but refused to make an official statement. She later said she was being sarcastic about making it up. She was also charged with racial harassment.

Khan has been convicted twice in the past of racially abusing police officers. The court was told Khan named the officer because he was involved in a previous investigation involving her ex-husband in 2011.

The defending barrister, Dharmendra Toor, said Khan had lived a "traumatic life". "She was plainly unwell and made a spurious allegation against a man she didn't know, which she says was deplorable and she did retract it." Toor also said that Khan had a drinking problem and that she had drunk "at least one bottle of vodka" before making the allegation.