Woman, 26, appears in court accused of making a fake rape report

A 26-year-old woman has appeared in court after being accused of making a false report of rape. 

Jade Wass, from Darlington, County Durham, appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court in Middlesbrough on Friday afternoon.

She was charged with committing an act / series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice, the charge related to Wass making a false report of rape which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

Wass allegedly committed the crime in Middlesbrough between July 7 and July 12, 2020, the court heard.

She was wearing a checked jacket with a fur hood and jeans.

District Judge Helen Cousins told Wass how the case would be sent to the crown court.

She told the defendant that Wass must appear at Teesside Crown Court on March 24 at 10.30am.

District Judge Cousins said: ‘You have unconditional bail until that date and time which means there’s control on your movement but you must be there.

‘If you fail to attend you commit an offence so it’s really important that you are.’

No pleas were entered by Wass during the short hearing. 

Last October Wass told TeessideLive that she and her partner were living in their car, parking a Ford Focus in Redcar seaside each night because they were made ‘homeless’ after what they said was a council accommodation mix-up.

In December, she told The Sun she was living in a caravan and had feared staying there through Christmas. 

She told the publication: ‘We’ve even begged the council to put us in an emergency accommodation which they did for two nights before making us leave.

‘It’s embarrassing seeing people coming past and looking and laughing at us.’