Eleanor Williams

A woman who falsely claimed she was raped and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

She had earlier pleaded guilty to one further count. Protests were held outside the police station and on a retail park. Before Judge Altham began his sentencing remarks, the defence read a letter from Williams in which she said she knew she had "done wrong over some of this" and was "sorry" but added she did not accept she was guilty. She said she was "devastated" by the "trouble caused" by her Facebook post and added "if I knew what consequences would come from the status I would never have wrote it". Judge Altham said: "Police were under pressure from those who believed they were complicit in a cover-up on one hand and those who felt unsafe at the hands of vigilantes on the other." Business owner Mohammed Ramzan, who Williams claimed groomed her from the age of 12 and put her to work in brothels in Amsterdam, said he had received "countless death threats" on social media.

ELEANOR Williams, the woman whose false claims of being trafficked by an Asian grooming divided Barrow, has been jailed.

She told officers a man had paid the deposit for her but had not come up with the full amount so she was allowed to return home. When officers told Williams they would be able to trace her on the flight manifest, she admitted he had lied. On another occasion, Williams had alleged that she was told by traffickers to travel to Blackpool. The card used for the purchase was the same card, in Williams’ name, found in her rucksack on the night of 19 May. She told officers the cuts she had received were from a knife used by one of her attackers. On the evening of 19 May, Williams had been reported missing by her family and was then seen by witnesses in a field near to her home.

Eleanor Williams accused a number of men of rape and posted an account on Facebook alleging she had been the victim of an Asian grooming gang.

Williams claimed Mr Ramzan, 43, had groomed her from the age of 12, put her to work in brothels in Amsterdam, and sold her at an auction there. In statements read to the court on Monday, three of the men Williams had accused described attempts to take their own life following her allegations. In January, a jury found Williams guilty of eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.

Eleanor Williams was found guilty of perverting the course of justice after concocting a made-up Facebook post that she was the victim of Asian grooming ...

[rape](/topic/rape) after he met the 22-year-old in the city centre and said it was a “real shock” when he was contacted by Cumbria Police and told of her claims. In a statement read to the court, another Jordan Trengove said the word “rapist” had been spray painted across his house and his window was smashed after Ms Williams accused him of raping and attacking her. When police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside resort alone and stayed in a hotel, where she bought a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then remained in her room watching YouTube on her phone. Ms Williams, of Teasdale Road, Barrow, claimed Mr Ramzan, 43, had groomed her from the age of 12, put her to work in brothels in Amsterdam, and sold her at an auction there. He added: “I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in.” He said: “I still bear the scars to this day.”

Eleanor Williams, 22, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, falsely claimed she was groomed, trafficked and raped.

The allegations by Williams resulted in a large-scale police investigation into crimes including human trafficking and child sex offences and the investigation ...

Williams was found guilty of perverting the course of justice following a trial which finished in January. Anyone who has suffered physical or sexual abuse - whether recent or non-recent - is encouraged to pick up the phone and contact police today. Williams named specific individuals as being responsible for trafficking and abusing her – individuals who were found to have committed no such offences. The charges arose after Williams accused multiple men over a period of three years of raping and trafficking her. Williams, who was already on bail at this time having been charged with seven counts of perverting the course of justice, uploaded pictures to social media of serious injuries she had sustained to her face and body. He said it was troubling there had been "no significant sign of remorse" and "no explanation why the defendant would commit these offences".

Eleanor Williams, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday (March 14) after making a series of false rape allegations. In ...

In the letter to the judge, she said: “I’m not saying I’m guilty but I know I have done wrong on some of this and I’m sorry. Williams claimed Mr Ramzan, 43, had groomed her from the age of 12, put her to work in brothels in Amsterdam, and sold her at an auction there. In January, a jury found Williams guilty of eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.

A woman from Walney who lied about being the victim of a grooming gang and fabricated evidence has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

She told officers a man had paid the deposit for her but had not come up with the full amount so she was allowed to return home. When officers told Williams they would be able to trace her on the flight manifest, she admitted he had lied. On another occasion, Williams had alleged that she was told by traffickers to travel to Blackpool. In some quarters, protesters sought to actively discourage victims from reporting abuse to the police. She was back inside her hotel room by 9.40pm and didn’t leave the room again until 10.40am the following morning. She told officers the cuts she had received were from a knife used by one of her attackers. On the evening of 19 May, Williams had been reported missing by her family and was then seen by witnesses in a field near to her home. Williams was interviewed again and initially gave the same account she had first made to officers. Other allegations of rape and sexual assault were also found to be baseless. With the help of a police dog, a bloodied black-handled, metal claw hammer was found. It was found to have been empty for two years and neighbours said they had never known of anyone of Asian origin either living at the address or coming or going from it. Williams, who was already on bail at this time having been charged with seven counts of perverting the course of justice, uploaded pictures to social media of serious injuries she had sustained to her face and body.

In a Facebook post in May 2020, which was shared more than 100000 times, she described being beaten, abused and trafficked by Asian men.

Superintendent Matthew Pearman, of Cumbria Police, said Williams' allegations led to "public displays of mass anger" in Barrow, with protests held outside the police station and on a retail park. When police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside resort alone and stayed in a hotel, where she bought a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then remained in her room watching YouTube on her phone. I'm devastated at the trouble that has been caused in Barrow, if I knew what consequences would have come from that status I never would have posted it." Williams claimed Mr Ramzan, 43, had groomed her from the age of 12, put her to work in brothels in Amsterdam, and sold her at an auction there. She pleaded guilty to a ninth count at an earlier hearing. In a Facebook post in May 2020, which was shared more than 100,000 times, she described being beaten, abused and trafficked by Asian men.

Cumbria Police has shared the footage from inside Tesco in Barrow as Williams begins an eight-and-a-half year prison sentence. Williams, who was already on bail ...

The card used for the purchase was the same card, in Williams’ name, found in her rucksack on the night of 19 May. She told officers the cuts she had received were from a knife used by one of her attackers. On the evening of 19 May, Williams had been reported missing by her family and was then seen by witnesses in a field near to her home.

Eleanor Williams, 22, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, falsely claimed she was groomed, trafficked and raped.

A woman who made a series of false rape allegations gave accounts of being trafficked in Ibiza and sold at auction in Amsterdam.

“I’d like to reassure victims of rape and serious sexual assault that we take allegations of sexual offending extremely seriously. As we will see this was to become a feature of her conduct.” A hammer found at the scene had her DNA on and was identical to one she had purchased from Tesco earlier in the month. In what the prosecution called her “finale event”, in May 2020 Williams was found by police with injuries including a swollen eye, cut finger and injuries to her legs and abdomen which were “too numerous to count”. When police investigated Williams’ account of being taken to addresses in Blackpool and forced to have sex with men, they found she had gone to the seaside resort alone and, after buying a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop, spent most of her time in her hotel room watching YouTube. Williams told police she had been taken to Amsterdam by Mr Ramzan, forced to work in a brothel and sold at an auction for 25,000 Euros, but the buyer did not go through with the deal.

When Eleanor Williams' Facebook post claiming she was the victim of an Asian rape gang went viral in 2020, it sparked a bitter backlash against Asian-owned ...

And a lot of racist remarks as well." In it she claimed to have been taken to an address in Barrow and raped by numerous Asian men. Reflecting on the past three years, Sajid said there had always been "an element of racism" in his town, but in the summer of 2020 it was "the racists that were shouting the loudest and causing most upset". "The bad side of the community had taken over the town. He said: "The good part of the community were scared to raise their voice, afraid of the backlash they may receive. "I was shocked and dismayed by the level of racism, and that people seemed to think they knew more about the case than the investigators and the police." He had his windows smashed too after one of a handful of local protests held in the misguided cause of "Justice for Ellie Williams". "I had calls saying that they were going to rape my wife in front my children, then kill me, and kill my kids," he said, adding: "I got quite a few calls, saying that we're going to shoot everyone within the shop. On the messaging app, a post was circulating which named Indian restaurants in Barrow - it seemed to accuse all of them of being involved in the rape and abuse of Williams. Their names have been changed because they're still concerned for their safety. "Some of the threats were so severe, saying 'We're gonna kill you', I had to contact the police," he told the BBC. Included were graphic images of injuries to her face and body she claimed the gang had inflicted on her - in fact, she had done them to herself.

Months into the investigation into Eleanor Williams's claims she was the victim of an Asian grooming gang, police discovered inconsistencies.

But, evidence from a pathologist found the injuries were consistent with being caused to herself. More than 20 women Williams listed as present at sex parties all denied being there. A hammer found at the scene had her DNA on and was identical to one she had purchased from Tesco earlier in the month. Williams withdrew support from prosecution in January 2018, after Mr Bibby had been arrested. Speaking in court during her trial, Williams said she was taken to sex parties from the age of 13 in "Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Preston, everywhere" and made to have sex with numerous older men. At the time Williams said she was being raped by men in Blackpool, evidence showed she was staying in a hotel she had booked herself.

As Eleanor Williams was jailed for eight and a half years today, the Mirror looks at the disturbing lies she told and the impact they had on the victims and ...

She told officers the cuts she had received were from a knife used by one of her attackers. One man from Essex had been renamed as 'Shaggy' - who she alleged was the name of a trafficker. [A woman who lied about being groomed by a gang of Asian sex traffickers ](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-woman-who-lied-being-29447776)was jailed today as the extent of her lies was laid bare in court. She was found by officers with numerous injuries to her face and body and carrying a rucksack containing a bank card in her name. Williams was already on bail after being charged with seven counts of perverting the course of justice when she uploaded pictures to social media of serious injuries she had sustained to her face and body. Williams claimed was taken in a car to an address in Barrow and raped by numerous Asian men, one of whom attacked her with a knife. She had been reported missing by her family and was then seen by witnesses in a field near her home. She spoke of being trafficked over a number of years and attempted to create a false alibi for the hammer by asking her sister to tell solicitors it was in her bedroom. One of the men she accused of grooming called her "delusional" and a "fantasist" in court. The court heard how Williams manipulated people she was in contact with on Snapchat by renaming them on her phone with the name of alleged traffickers. As Williams was jailed for eight and a half years today, the Mirror looks at the disturbing lies she told and the impact it had on the victims and the wider community. She created false names and messages to spin a web of lies that she was a victim of sex trafficking.

Eleanor Williams lied about being a victim of an Asian grooming gang in her home town.

And a lot of racist remarks as well." In it she claimed to have been taken to an address in Barrow and raped by numerous Asian men. Reflecting on the past three years, Sajid said there had always been "an element of racism" in his town, but in the summer of 2020 it was "the racists that were shouting the loudest and causing most upset". "The bad side of the community had taken over the town. He said: "The good part of the community were scared to raise their voice, afraid of the backlash they may receive. "I was shocked and dismayed by the level of racism, and that people seemed to think they knew more about the case than the investigators and the police." He had his windows smashed too after one of a handful of local protests held in the misguided cause of "Justice for Ellie Williams". "I had calls saying that they were going to rape my wife in front my children, then kill me, and kill my kids," he said, adding: "I got quite a few calls, saying that we're going to shoot everyone within the shop. On the messaging app, a post was circulating which named Indian restaurants in Barrow - it seemed to accuse all of them of being involved in the rape and abuse of Williams. Their names have been changed because they're still concerned for their safety. "Some of the threats were so severe, saying 'We're gonna kill you', I had to contact the police," he told the BBC. Included were graphic images of injuries to her face and body she claimed the gang had inflicted on her - in fact, she had done them to herself.

Three men had tried to take their own lives over the 22-year-old's allegations, a court was told.

Even when he was released, his bail condition meant he had to live far from home for a further 19 days. He went on: “His mother had to leave her house. She accused one man of rape after he simply asked for a light in the street. He went on: “There is no explanation for why the defendant would commit these offences. She said: "I'm not saying I'm guilty but I know I have done wrong on some of this and I'm sorry. I'm not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this.

The 22-year-old defendant stood impassively in the dock at Preston Crown Court as she was sentenced, saying 'thank you' to the judge as he settled her fate. The ...

The judge said he had reduced the sentence to eight and a half years to take into account for Williams' age during the offences. The judge said he agree with the evidence of a prosecution commissoned psychiatric report there was no evidence of a complex post-traumatic stress disorder. A JUDGE said he was troubled Eleanor Williams had showed no remorse as he jailed her for eight and a half years.

Psychiatrist speculated she had PTSD from childhood trauma but trial offered few clues.

Doug Marshall, the senior investigator on the case, gives short shrift to the idea that Williams may have been a victim of something, if not what she told police. Bacon said Williams had learned to “maintain a mask” to hide her emotions, which she said was very common in trauma. “She was acting very strange in school.” When she first started to tell police about being trafficked to “sex parties”, she gave officers a list of 60 other girls she said had been abused too. He said there were “clear overtones” of difficulties in her childhood, but that there was “little clarity” over what those may have entailed. Why had she framed so many innocent men and what had happened in her past which might have contributed to her behaviour?

A 22-year-old woman, Eleanor Williams, has been sentenced to eight and a half years after being found guilty of lying about being raped and trafficked in a ...

A third man accused of rape by Williams, Oliver Gardner, said he only met her once and so it was a "shock" when he was contacted by Cumbria Police in regards to the claims. One of the other men Williams accused, Jordan Trengove, spent 73 days in custody and shared a cell with a convicted sex offender. In reality, Williams had booked herself into a hotel alone and was watching YouTube videos at the time of the alleged attack. "I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in," he said. Undeniably, Williams' false allegations have had a shocking and heartbreaking impact on all those involved. Now, three of the men who were falsely accused of rape by Williams have spoken out to share what a devastating impact the accusations have had on their lives and mental health. This lead police to liken her claims about being trafficked to Amsterdam to the plot of the movie, Taken. "I still bear the scars to this day," he said. Eleanor Williams, 22, first made accusations of abuse back in 2017, but her claims didn’t go viral until the pandemic when she shared a series of social media posts in May 2020. He added that two weeks after his initial arrest, he attempted to take his own life. I'm not saying I am guilty but I know I have done some wrong and so I'm sorry." She also uploaded photos – which quickly went viral – showing her covered in bruises, including a black eye and a severed finger.

Mohammed Ramzan, 43, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, tried to take his own life two weeks after he was arrested following the claims made by Eleanor Williams ...

'But to us, her family, it says she was telling the truth, that she was a victim in the way that she claimed to be and as her mother I believe her. Mr Trengove was accused by Williams of three rapes and was arrested. I've spoken to my girlfriend about it and we just want to put the whole thing behind us and forget about it.' Mrs Johnston said: 'The order says Ellie was a victim of exploitation and trafficking from the age of 12. He was still charged with the rape offence. I don't want to think about it any more. I also don't believe that Ellie inflicted those injuries on herself, she couldn't have caused them.' There's a bigger picture to this, which in time will be revealed, I'm sure we'll see who and what was behind this.' Now I know she's locked away for a bit longer, it's just a bit of a relief. I was just happy with the guilty verdict. But I wish it was a longer sentence. 'The mud sticks and I fear it may take some time.

Eleanor Williams, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday after making a series of false rape allegations.

“This has been a lengthy, complex and ultimately tragic case, as well as a dark period for Barrow. “It is important to note that Williams’ allegations could not have been taken any more seriously when she initially came forward. He added: “Unless and until the defendant chooses to say why she has told these lies we will not know.” “I’m devastated at the trouble that has been caused in Barrow. As we will see this was to become a feature of her conduct.” The court heard she did have injuries following the alleged attack.

TWO victims caught up in Eleanor Williams' so-called web of lies have reacted to her being sentenced.

The court heard Mr Trengove had continued to face abuse following Williams' conviction and had been the subject of dozens of calls to social services from people who claimed he was a rapist and should not be around children. On what he thought of the defendant, he said: "She had plenty of time to stop and tell the truth. Mr Trengove said he was not satisfied with the sentence and doubted the truth of a statement Williams gave to her barrister apologising for the uproar caused by her Facebook post in May 2020. [Ulverston](/news/ulverston/), said he planned to move out of the area when Williams is released from prison. "I'm not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this. Williams claimed Mr Ramzan had befriended her age 12, before raping her and trafficking her across the north of England and abroad.

Doug Marshall acted as the senior investigator in the case against Williams, whose false claims of being raped and trafficked by a grooming gang led to her ...

Reflecting on the investigation nearly four years since it started, Mr Marshall said: "It's a culmination of a lot of hard work. "So we sent detectives down to the hotel district. "It's had many twists and turns along the way but the victims and the general public of Barrow have had to suffer the consequences." "So we were then able to do more work on the IP address from where that account was set up and of course we found it had been set up at her own house." "In light of that I had to review all the evidence in that case. "There was already an investigation and it heightened the need to hurry that investigation up."

ELEANOR Williams told a judge she is 'sorry' for the impact her claims of being raped and trafficked had on Barrow.

Ms Blackwell said Williams told her in the instructions that she and her family are not and 'never have been' racist. Referring to the claims she had made about being raped and trafficked in Blackpool, she said she was 'young and confused'. In the note, read in court, she explained the post and said she did not mean to cause upset in the town and was not racially motivated.

THE mum of a woman jailed for making false rape allegations said her daughter was 'just trying to get people to listen to her'.

She told Sky News: “One of the men was harassing Ellie at the bar and some of our friends had seen it and they’d warned him off. She did come home with me, and then the next weekend she came back black and blue, worse than we’ve ever seen.” The person the press are portraying is not the person I know.” Allison said she accepts her daughter did tell lies but added: “I believe she was just trying to get people to listen to her.” I still can’t take it in really. I can’t describe it.