A MUM who lied about being raped has been jailed for two years.

On Tuesday Jennifer Day, 34, was led sobbing from the dock after she was sentenced for perverting the course of justice at Basildon Crown Court.

Day, of Williamson Way, Corringham, made a tearful 999 call on January 8, 2008, claiming she had been raped at home by an ex-boyfriend.

The boyfriend, Andrew Saxby, was arrested at work and held in custody for around ten hours before police became suspicious about inconsistencies in Day’s story.

They confronted Day, who had met Mr Saxby on a dating website, and admitted she had made up the claim.

The court heard the investigation into the false allegation wasted 270 hours of police time and cost £4,000.

In mitigation Rebecca Lee told the court the allegation was a cry for help.

Referring to the 999 call, she said: “Whatever had happened she was clearly confused and clearly in a state of considerable distress.

“It was certainly not a pre-meditated attempt to make such an allegation. What happened related to a cry for help.”

Mr Saxby had ended his relationship with Day the night before she made the allegation.

The court heard that psychiatric reports showed Day had abandonment issues since her mother left the family home when she was five-years-old.

Ms Lee added: “She is desperately sorry for what happened to Andrew Saxby.”

The court also heard that Day would not be able to care for her four-year-old daughter and would lose her home if she was sent to prison.

But sentencing, Judge Ian Graham told Day he had no option but to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

He said: “The police interview, in which you purported to give an account of being raped, was an extraordinary histrionic performance, a performance that involved telling deliberate untruths.

“You have added to the difficulties of genuine victims of rape in coming forward and being believed.”