A man falsely accused his ex-partner’s new lover of sexually assaulting a child and offered to pay a friend to vouch for his malicious lie.
Andrew Fraser invented the “dreadful” story and sent a Facebook message to a friend asking: “Would you do me a favour?”
The message went on to ask the recipient to confirm to officers that the child in question had claimed the subject of the police report touched their “privates”.
Fraser typed: “You’re the only one I can trust” and added: “I will pay you,” Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
The 34-year-old was sentenced after he pled guilty to a single charge concerning his despicable actions on January 16 2022.
Potentially damaging lie unravelled by discovery of Facebook message
After Fraser lodged his fabricated complaint with Police Scotland, officers launched an investigation.
However, they soon uncovered Fraser’s deception and charged the menace with wasting police time.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told the court that police enquiries were halted when Fraser’s Facebook correspondence with his friend was discovered.
Officers then confronted Fraser who confessed to making a false allegation.
The child was never interviewed during the short investigation.
Nasty deed blamed on mental health issues and ‘illicit substances’
Solicitor Rory Gowans, defending Fraser, told the court his client had medical diagnoses of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“His explanation is that he had been struggling emotionally,” Mr Gowans explained, adding: “He had been drinking alcohol and taking illicit substances.
“It is a very serious matter. He accepts that. Quite what his thought process was and what he thought he was going to achieve is a mystery.
Fraser’s defence lawyer added: “The best that can be said is that it didn’t go that far. When the police did speak to him he did confess that he had made the false allegation.
“He wishes to apologise profusely to all of those affected by his incredibly foolish decision whilst under the influence and can only apologise for wasting police time.”
Sheriff said ‘dreadful allegation’ was ‘utterly incomprehensible’
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank told Fraser, of Drakies Avenue in Inverness: “I find it utterly incomprehensible that anybody would make a false report to police.
“That is a dreadful allegation to make. It is only by good fortune that the investigation was relatively short-lived.”
The sheriff imposed a community payback order on Fraser, requiring him to be supervised for 15 months.
He must also complete 160 hours of unpaid work as “a direct alternative to a custodial sentence.”
For all the latest court cases in Inverness as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
