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'Oscar winning performance'

‘Reprehensible’ woman makes a false rape allegation so police can give her a lift home

Christina Dowie was found guilty of making a false report of rape in two phone calls to the emergency services last year

A Judge has condemned the “Oscar winning performance” of a woman who falsely claimed she had been raped during an emergency 999 call to police in Ireland so she could get a lift home.

Judge Patrick Durcan made the comment about 47-year-old Christina Dowie after finding her guilty of making a false report of rape in two phone calls to the emergency services on March 18 last year.

 The judge described Ms Dowie's behaviour as reprehensible as he sentenced her to a six moth suspended sentence
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The judge described Ms Dowie's behaviour as reprehensible as he sentenced her to a six moth suspended sentenceCredit: Array

Describing her actions on the night “reprehensible” Judge Duncan gave Ms Dowie a suspended six month jail term.

She made the calls in order for Irish police to give a lift back to her home in Shannon, Ireland  from Sixmilebridge - five miles away, the Irish Mirror reports.

The judge said: “All she wanted was to use the Garda as a cheap mode of transport.”

Ms Dowie – who had been drinking to celebrate St Patrick’s Day – made two false rape claims in calls to emergency services.

 Ms Dowie made the claims after she had been drinking to celebrate St Patrick's Day
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Ms Dowie made the claims after she had been drinking to celebrate St Patrick's DayCredit: Array

Recordings of both emergency calls were played in court and feature an Ms Dowie saying:  “I was raped and my boyfriend watched it.”

Two police units rushed to  her boyfriend’s home and found Ms Dowie had her bags packed at the door and was waiting for a lift home.

An Ambulance soon followed.

In evidence, Sgt Ann-Marie Starr said: “Ms Dowie refused to go in the ambulance because the ambulance wouldn’t take her dog and I was there when she asked them to leave as they were of no benefit to her.”

Sgt Starr said: “She just wanted to be taken and driven back to Shannon.”

The police said her boyfriend, Declan Cullinan told officers at the scene that Ms Dowie “considered Gardai to be a cheap taxi”.

Sgt Starr said: “Ms Dowie was highly intoxicated and wasn’t distressed in any way and she wanted basically for us to give her a lift back to Shannon.”

Solicitor for Ms Dowie said that his client had an emotionally difficult life.

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