A 20-year-old woman has been jailed today for two years after falsely claiming that she had been raped.

Keeley Horrocks, of Grant Street, Burnley, was slammed for her ‘deceit and malicious lies’ after accusing her 59-year-old boyfriend of handcuffing and raping her.

A court heard that Edward Flynn endured an 18-month ordeal including being arrested, held in the cells and being strip-searched while under suspicion of rape.

He vehemently denied any wrongdoing, explaining that the pair had been in a consensual sexual relationship for nine months.

Judge Stephen Everett said Horrocks had not considered the 'terrible trauma and anguish’ that she had caused by her ‘selfish act’.

Horrocks, who was 19 at the time, who had no previous convictions, only admitted perverting the course of justice last month.

Horrocks underwent a full medical examination and over several days was video interviewed by trained officers, and gave a lengthy and detailed account of her ordeal, all of which proved to be false.

Evidence was reviewed and it emerged that the report of rape had been made shortly after the "suspect" sent a text message to the woman's ex-boyfriend, with whom she was trying to rekindle her relationship.

Mr Flynn, who is from Rochdale, presented videotapes of him having sex with Horrocks to police to prove that sex between the pair had been consensual.

The judge told Horrocks he was convinced that, without the video evidence being brought forward, she would have forced Mr Flynn to go on trial for rape.

Prosecutor Iain Simkin said that the pair met through an internet dating site in 2009.

But she was also involved in a turbulent relationship with Mr McGinty - who knew that Horrocks had started dating and sleeping with Mr Flynn.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Flynn said the worst aspect of the case had been when he was taken to Chadderton police station, near Oldham, after being arrested at around 12.30am on January 4, 2010.

He felt 'upset, confused and frightened' as police strip-searched him and took intimate body samples.

He was also the sole carer for his frail 81-year-old mother.

Horrocks also enjoyed looking after Mr Flynn's daughter.

Kathryn Pierpoint, defending, said her client was 'very remorseful' for her actions and now wished to apologise directly to Mr Flynn.

She now understood the gravity of her conduct but had been a 'very immature young woman' at the time of the offence.

The court heard that Horrocks had only given birth to baby daughter in July and had 'buried her head in the sand' regarding the case until she changed her plea to guilty last month.

Miss Pierpoint said that Horrocks had come from a troubled background, moving around the country before returning to Burnley, and had made efforts to secure qualifications with little or no family support.

Her relationship with Mr McGinty had also ended but, along with his family, he had pledged to look after her daughter, in the event of a prison sentence being passed.

Judge Everett also told the court that Mr Flynn's mother had died last February, while the rape allegation was still hanging over her son.