Family of woman who lied about being raped said she wanted to be ‘listened’ to

Lucy and Allison Williams say the sentencing of Eleanor Williams ‘doesn’t feel real’ (Picture: Sky News)

The mum of a woman who died about raped and groomed said her daughter ‘was just trying to get people to listen to her’.

Eleanor Williams, 22, has been jailed after falsely claiming to have been the victim of an Asian grooming gang.

In a Facebook post in May 2020, which was shared more than 100,000 times, she described being beaten, abused and trafficked by the men.

Williams also posted pictures of her injuries, but a court heard that she had caused them to herself, with a hammer.

She was jailed for eight-and-a-half years after appearing at court yesterday.

Williams’ mother, Allison, spoke to Sky News about the moment her daughter’s verdict came in.

She told the broadcaster: ‘I can’t describe it. I still can’t take it in really. It just doesn’t feel real. The person the press are portraying is not the person I know.’

Allison said she accepts her daughter did tell lies but added: ‘I believe she was just trying to get people to listen to her.’

Williams’ sister, Lucy, also spoke out about the ordeal.

While she, like her mother, admits the 22-year-old lied about the men who were forced to defend the false claims in court, she does think others were responsible.

Lucy claims Williams received ‘constant’ and ‘very weird’ phone messages as well as threatening Snapchats.

She admitted that her sister did not get auctioned during a trip to Amsterdam, as was claimed, as they shared a room and nothing was out the ordinary.

Eleanor Williams attacked herself with a hammer (Picture: Facebook)

But they did have other experiences, Lucy claims.

She told Sky News: ‘One of the men was harassing Ellie at the bar and some of our friends had seen it and they’d warned him off. And there was a takeaway around the corner from the nightclub, and Ellie was coming home that night with me.

‘He grabbed her outside of the takeaway and started pulling her arm, saying: “Come on, we’re going.”

‘And she was like: “No, I’m going with my sister”, and his face, he was so angry with her. She did come home with me, and then the next weekend she came back black and blue, worse than we’ve ever seen.”

Lucy added it was her that urged Williams to go to the police after seeing the extent of her injuries.

In sentencing remarks which were broadcast on television, Honorary Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham said: ‘It is troubling to say the least that she shows no significant signs of remorse.’

He said there is no explanation for why the defendant made the allegations, which he described as ‘complete fiction’.

He added: ‘Unless and until the defendant chooses to say why she has told these lies we will not know.’

Williams looked straight ahead and thanked the judge after he sentenced her.

In statements read to the court on Monday, three of the men Williams had accused described attempts to take their own life following her allegations.

Mohammed Ramzan, a business owner who Williams alleged trafficked her, told the court: ‘I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in.’

Williams claimed Mr Ramzan, 43, had groomed her from the age of 12, put her to work in brothels in Amsterdam, and sold her at an auction there.

Mohammed Ramzan, who was accused of trafficking by Eleanor Williams, with his wife Nicola Holt, (Picture: PA)

But the court heard that, at the time she was in the Netherlands, his bank card was being used at a B&Q in Barrow.

Williams also gave police an account of being taken to Blackpool, where she said Mr Ramzan threatened her and she was taken to different addresses and forced to have sex with men.

When police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside resort alone and stayed in a hotel, where she bought a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then remained in her room watching YouTube on her phone.

Speaking outside court following the hearing, Mr Ramzan said: ‘There’s no winners here today, I feel no sense of triumph, only sadness.

Jordan Trengove (centre), who was accused of trafficking by Eleanor Williams (Picture: PA)

‘I’m not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this. Mud sticks and I fear it may take some time.’

Jordan Trengove, who spent time in custody after being falsely accused of rape by Williams, told reporters he planned to take action against the police.

He said he does not believe Williams has shown any remorse and added: ‘I don’t think the sentence is long enough, in my opinion, for what she’s done to us all.’

Superintendent Matthew Pearman, of Cumbria Police, said Williams’ allegations led to ‘public displays of mass anger’ in Barrow, with protests held outside the police station and on a retail park.

Videos of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson in the town were shown in court.

In a letter read to the court, Williams said she had not instigated anything which happened in the community and did not want Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, to come to the town.

She said: ‘I do not agree with his views or opinions.’

In the letter to the judge, she said: ‘I’m not saying I’m guilty but I know I have done wrong on some of this and I’m sorry.

CCTV issued by Cumbria Police showing Eleanor Williams purchasing a hammer in a branch of Tesco (Picture: PA)

‘I’m devastated at the trouble that has been caused in Barrow. If I knew what consequences would have come from that status I never would have posted it.’

Louise Blackwell KC, defending Williams, said her client maintained the allegations were true.

She added: ‘Other than her personal vulnerabilities and her age there doesn’t appear to be any motivation at all.’

Speaking after the sentencing, Mr Pearman said: ‘My biggest concern throughout this period has been that these false allegations would discourage genuine victims of abuse from coming forward to ourselves and our partners.

‘It is important to note that Williams’ allegations could not have been taken any more seriously when she initially came forward.

‘A large-scale investigation was launched and those she made allegations against were arrested and interviewed.

‘This has been a lengthy, complex and ultimately tragic case, as well as a dark period for Barrow. I hope that the full story, now it is in the public domain, will demonstrate that the police take allegations of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly.

‘I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse to report it today. You will be listened to and supported.’

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The mother and sister of Eleanor Williams have spoken out about the 22-year-old’s accusations.