The Telegraph
February 12, 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8318712/Chaplain-made-false-rape-allegation-against-priest.html
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| Templeton (left) made up sex attack allegations against Father Udoma (right) after he ended affair |
Emma Templeton of Cardinal Newman College in Birmingham told police that she had been raped by Father Patrick Udoma, with whom she had become romantically involved.
As a result the priest, was based at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, in Weoley Castle, was arrested and spent 23 hours in police custody.
Templeton, a 44-year-old mother of four from Northfield, Birmingham, yesterday escaped jail after she admitted a charge of doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice at Birmingham Crown Court.
Sentencing Templeton to ten months' imprisonment suspended for a year, Recorder James Burbidge QC said Fr Udoma's life had been "completely devastated" by the bogus claim, and that he'd lost his job and home as a result.
The priest was arrested on suspicion of rape and spent 23 hours in police custody being questioned over Templeton's allegations, Shenaz Musaffer, prosecuting, told the court.
Officers also searched his home and examined his mobile phone.
During interviews the priest told officers he had consensual sex with Templeton on two occasions and that the relationship was over.
He told them that she had warned him that if he "hurt" her she would not be able to guarantee what she would do.
Templeton was arrested after police discovered more than 200 text messages exchanged between herself and the priest in which she had declared her love and respect for him. Templeton had refused to let police examine her phone.
Following her arrest Templeton claimed the priest had some kind of hold over her, but she admitted she had made the allegations up, Miss Muzaffer told the court.
She said Templeton first made an allegation of rape to a colleague in January 2009 and said she had visited a rape crisis centre.
She added Templeton then went on to make the same claim to two others, naming Fr Udoma as her attacker and saying that he had raped her at his home.
Templeton also claimed that, as a result, she had twice taken "significant amounts of paracetamol".
Templeton made the same allegations to police, on April 11, 2010, said Miss Muzaffer.
Sally Hancox, defending, said Templeton was of positive good character and that she had "issues" from her childhood and adolescent life which meant there was still an element of the "emotional child" in her.
She said: "She allowed herself to become embroiled in a situation which for many reasons was inappropriate."
The judge told Templeton: "You have committed a very serious offence and you are very much aware of that.
"Your counsel has said that your complaint was not malicious, that may be so. But it was created when your relationship with Fr Udoma appeared to be coming to an end, and from what you said to him you knew you could cause him trouble."
However, the judge said he accepted Templeton had already punished herself for what she had done and went on: "You are a complex individual."
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