Three men who were falsely accused of rape by a woman who lied about being a victim of grooming say her claims made them try to kill themselves.
Eleanor Williams, 22, published pictures of her injuries and an account of being groomed, trafficked and beaten, on Facebook in May 2020, in a post which was shared more than 100,000 times.
Her posts sparked demonstrations in her home town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and led to former English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson visiting the town to "investigate" the claims.
She was found guilty over the lies in January, and the harrowing impact statements from the victims were read out in court today ahead of her sentencing.
Mohammed Ramzan read his impact statement in court saying he tried to take his own life after his arrest and fears his ordeal had racist undertones.
He said: "I feel there has been a racial element and it has had an effect on the wider Asian community. I have not done anything to anyone to deserve this.
"Two weeks after my arrest I attempted to take my own life. I still have the scars to this day."
He added: "I had constant death threats from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in. I had to give evidence and defend my reputation in court. My reputation was destroyed and was very upsetting. I'm not sure how my family will recover from this. It will take time but we are determined to have some positivity in our lives."
Jordan Trengove said in his impact statement his time remanded in custody will haunt him for the rest of his life.
He said: "We had the word 'rapist' sprayed on the house and the window smashed. My mum had to leave the house because she didn't feel safe. I had to give intimate samples which was intrusive and embarrassing knowing I'd done nothing wrong. Then I was charged with rape, remanded in custody and sent to HMP Preston.
I was totally out of my depth and felt no-one was listening to me, being accused of rape and labelled a sex offender. My time on remand will haunt me for the rest of my life. I was put on a sex offenders' wing and was forced to share a cell with a man who told me why he was in prison. I felt sick."
He added that things calmed down after the charges were dropped until Williams' Facebook post went viral leading him to try and end his life.
He said: "At one stage I attempted to take my own life. I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD."
He continued: "This will stay with me for life but I can now get help to move forward."
Oliver Gardner said his chance encounter with Williams in Preston led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Mr Gardner, who was accused of rape after he met Williams in the city centre, said it was a "real shock" when he was contacted by Cumbria Police and told of her claims.
He said: "It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
In his statement, he said he tried to end his life before being sectioned. He said: "This whole period in my life has been totally overwhelming."
One victim impact statement was read out in court on behalf of Cameron Bibby who said being accused of rape in 2017 ruined his life.
The statement read: "It made me feel ill and disgusted knowing it was lies."
It continued: "The Justice For Ellie stickers on my neighbours' houses and cars intimidated me. I've lost most of my friends and some members of my family shared Ellie's post.
"I have applied for over 30 jobs but I never get an interview. I think this is because of my name being tarnished."
Statements from a number of women who Williams claims were trafficked were also submitted to the court, but not read out.
Each woman claimed they were false and explained how it affected them.
The court was shown videos of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson attending protests at Hollywood Retail Park in Barrow in May 2020.
In a statement, Superintendent Matthew Pearman said after Williams' Facebook post there was "unprecedented outcry on social media within the town of Barrow".
The court heard there were 151 extra crimes following the Facebook post, including 83 hate crimes.
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Webster said in a statement some businesses had closed and members of the community had left their homes because of the outcry.
During sentencing judge Robert Altham says he is sure the allegations made against Mo Ramzan and others were "utterly false from start to end".
Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said Williams has "a significant credibility problem" and pointed to evidence that she fabricated evidence to the extent of causing herself physical injuries.
Louise Blackwell KC, defending, told the court that Williams could not have foreseen her Facebook post being picked up so quickly.
Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Lucy Bacon told the court that Williams has Complex PTSD, which stemmed from "abusive and unpleasant experiences in her childhood". This was challenged by the prosecutor.
Dr Martin Locke, who was unable to carry out a full assessment, also took the stand and said there was no evidence of a psychiatric illness, but that Williams had "an immature personality".
At her trial, the court heard she had accused a number of men of rape, going back to 2017, and told police she was groomed and trafficked by an Asian gang.
In May 2020, she was found by officers near her home on Walney Island with injuries which she claimed were inflicted by the gang after she was taken to a house in the town and raped.
The prosecution claimed Williams caused the injuries to herself with a hammer, which was found with her blood close by.
It was alleged Williams sent some messages to herself, making them appear as if they were from traffickers or fellow victims, and in other cases manipulated real people to send messages that she then said were from her abusers.
The jury was told some of the people she made allegations about were real, while others, the prosecution claimed, did not exist.
During her evidence, Williams denied telling a "pack of lies" to the police and the jury.
Asked about her Facebook post, she said: "I wanted people to know what was going on in Barrow, still is going on."
In January, she was found guilty at Preston Crown Court on eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.
She pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to one count of perverting the course of justice, which related to contacting her sister and mother with requests for them to take a hammer to her solicitor.
The sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court continues.
