Welshpool rape case woman appeal rejected

A Welshpool woman jailed for repeatedly making and then dropping rape charges against her husband has lost a request for permission to appeal.

She was jailed at Mold Crown Court last Friday for perverting the course of justice.

An application was heard by Judge John Rogers QC, in chambers but her solicitor said he would not reconsider his decision.

They are now expected to take the case to the Court of Appeal in London.

After a rare legal move, held in private and with the woman not present, her solicitor Phil Sherrard said the judge had "considered the grounds to appeal and considered that his decision last week was the correct one".

Mr Sherrard added: "The appeal now goes to the Court of Appeal in London, the issue of bail would only have been addressed if he decided his decision was wrong. He hasn't, so it hasn't arisen

"We will be in contact with the Court of Appeal to try and get the matter dealt with as expeditiously as possible."

The woman was cleared of making a false allegation of rape last Friday.

Rape charities have expressed anger at the sentence and claimed that pressures on abused women had been ignored.

Meanwhile, Dyfed-Powys Police has said it has dropped the charges of rape against the woman's husband.

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has called for the woman to be released, saying he was "unhappy" about her sentence.

Earlier this week, The End Violence Against Women Coalition said the verdict sent out a "chilling message" to rape victims.

And the charity Rape Crisis said they were "outraged" a woman was being criminalised for choosing not to pursue her case.

Dyfed-Powys Police decided to investigate her for perverting the course of justice after she changed her mind several times during a rape inquiry.