A woman who made a false allegation that she had been sexually assaulted by a prison officer escorting her on a hospital visit has been jailed for 21 months.
Nicole Chambers (29) alleged the prison officer assaulted her in a hospital cubicle.
CCTV from the hospital showed the male prison officer had never entered her cubicle and remained outside as is protocol. His woman colleague on the escort and medical staff also verified he had been outside the cubicle the entire time.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Chambers has a complex psychiatric background and is currently in a wheelchair due to a functional neurological disorder. There is no service or facility in Ireland that can address her complex needs.
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Chambers, of Snee, Carragh, Coolaney, Co Sligo, pleaded guilty to making a false criminal complaint on August 15th, 2020. She has 34 previous convictions and previously served a 1½-year sentence, imposed in 2021, for making false reports.
Judge Nolan said her allegation was “malicious and self-serving”.
He accepted she had a complicated history and has “endured a lot of trauma and distress”.
“I have no doubt that she knows the difference between right and wrong and knew the allegation should cause him difficulty. Thankfully the footage proved that he had done no wrong,” Judge Nolan continued, before he jailed Chambers for 21 months.
Garda Andrew Harte told barrister Aoife O’Leary, prosecuting, that gardaí attended at the Dóchas Centre in August 2020 after a complaint was made by Chambers that she had been sexually assaulted by a prison officer while being escorted to hospital.
Chambers made a detailed complaint to gardaí and indicated she was willing to be examined at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit. Gardaí arranged for a forensic exam to take place.
She told gardaí she had been escorted by a man and woman officer and once she was brought to a cubicle the woman officer disappeared. She said the man officer entered her cubicle, said something to her and she gave a detailed account of how she alleged she was sexually assaulted.
She claimed she had suffered fits and woke up in a different hospital after the seizures.
The court heard evidence that she had suffered fits while at the hospital and was transferred to Beaumont Hospital for further medical attention.
The man officer denied the allegation, telling gardaí he never entered the cubicle. His woman colleague and medical staff confirmed he had not entered the cubicle.
Gardaí suspected Chambers was making a false report and returned to the prison to interview her, when she maintained her story.
They were contacted in November 2020 to say Chambers wanted to speak to them. She told them she wished to retract her statement due to her mental health and physical wellbeing. She said she wished to apologise to the prison officer and the prison service.
Barrister Jennifer Jackson, defending, outlined that Chambers had suffered severe trauma in her childhood. She said Chambers has a complex psychiatric background and was suicidal at the time of this incident.
She said Chambers is currently living in Sligo under the care of a multidisciplinary team and appears to be doing well. She has a support worker and is attending therapy. Counsel said Chambers has written a letter of apology and greatly regrets her actions.
