A WOMAN who falsely claimed she had been sexually assaulted has been told by a sheriff that she had let down victims and made it easier for rapists to evade justice.

Kayleigh Thomson, 22, wept in the dock as Sheriff Lindsay Foulis berated her "attention-seeking" behaviour and told her she had narrowly escaped a prison term.

She pled guilty at Perth Sheriff Court to causing a £1500 police investigation that saw 80 hours of officers' time wasted.

Sheriff Foulis said her case was central to the current debate about the Scottish Government's plans to abolish the centuries-old rule of corroboration in criminal cases.

He added: "This is a very serious offence, aside from the fact 80 hours of police time was wasted on your attention-seeking petulance.

"In this day and age, as soon as a reference to a sexual offence is raised, the authorities just go into overdrive. Difficulties in getting convictions in sexual offences is one of the reasons being put forward for the abolition of corroboration.

"That is undoubtedly the reason why that proposal is being put forward and considered seriously by the Government. I express no view on that one way or another."

Thomson, of Balmoral Road, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, admitted wasting police time by falsely claiming she had been sexually assaulted on April 14. She was ordered to carry out the maximum 300 hours unpaid work.

Fiscal depute Robbie Brown told the court: "The accused had been out drinking and had been on the phone to her partner in the early hours of the morning.

"She felt she was not getting sufficient attention. She thereafter told him she had been assaulted by somebody who grabbed her from behind and threatened what would happen if she did not have sex with him."

Mr Brown said Thomson's partner urged her to call the police or her parents and when she refused he contacted the police. Instead of confessing, Thomson kept up the pretence for three days.

Swabs and statements were taken and it was only when timings were checked against her mobile phone that Thomson's story was discovered to be false.

Solicitor Steve Lafferty, defending, said: "It's a very embarrassing situation. It has caused her embarrassment and she is ashamed of her actions."

Sheriff Foulis said: "This lady wastes time and also gives a degree of credence to a view that allegations of this nature are, on certain occasions, made up.

"Thus, she makes it more difficult for the genuine victim to be believed if a matter is prosecuted. It continues the myth. It is therefore a very serious offence.

"We are effectively talking about two weeks time of one officer."

He told Thomson: "You wasted 80 hours of police time with this fictitious allegation you made, but that, with respect, is the least of it.

"One of the reasons why there is a big debate as to whether corroboration should go or not is said to be about obtaining convictions for sexual offences.

"There is a certain belief in some persons' minds that not all allegations are well-founded, that they are fabrications by the alleged victim and these actions by yourself only act to justify such beliefs.

"So, by your actions, you potentially make it more difficult for genuine victims to persuade a court they were genuine victims of such acts."

Last week, Lord Gill, the Lord President of the Court Of Session, said the plans to scrap corroboration in criminal cases could result in more miscarriages of justice.