Barrow: Eleanor Williams shared abuse claims on Facebook

Preston Crown Court was told she denies sending messages to herself

A woman accused of lying about being the victim of a grooming gang said she posted her claims online to stop the alleged abuse.

Eleanor Williams shared pictures of injuries she claimed had been inflicted by her abusers on Facebook in May 2020.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court have been told she fabricated the claims and caused the injuries to herself.

Ms Williams, 22 and from Barrow in Cumbria, denies eight counts of perverting the course of justice.

'Sick of abuse'

The court heard police found Ms Williams bleeding and bruised on 19 May 2020, and she said she had been taken to a house where she had sex with three men and had then been assaulted.

After being released from hospital the following day, Ms Williams posted pictures of her injuries and an account of the incident on Facebook.

She told the court: "I was sick of what was happening to me. I didn't know how else to stop it.

"At this point I didn't care, I just thought everyone can know what's happening and maybe it'll stop."

Ms Williams said within 20 minutes of creating the post she had been arrested and taken to a police station.

'Had enough'

The prosecution alleges Ms Williams inflicted the injuries, which included a cut finger and black eye, to herself using a hammer which was discovered with her DNA on close to where she was found.

Louise Blackwell KC, defending, asked Ms Williams: "What do you say about that?"

Ms Williams replied: "I didn't."

The court also heard in March 2020 Ms Williams was taken to hospital having taken a drug overdose.

She said: "I'd had enough. I didn't know how to get out the situation I was in, I was sick of constantly going to the parties, getting hurt, I just didn't see any other way out of the situation I was in.

"I'd tried to speak to the police, I'd tried moving to Kendal, nothing was working and I thought the only way I could get out of it was to be dead."

'Visa engagement'

The jury was told of a number of incidents where Ms Williams was reported missing by her mother and later found by police and taken to hospital with injuries.

One one occasion, she said she was tied to a radiator with duct tape and hit, and on another was injured when she was pulled out of a car.

Ms Williams told the court she had been engaged to one of her alleged abusers, a man called Mahmun.

She said: "But it wasn't a relationship, it was just so he could get a visa."

Asked if there was evidence of their engagement, she said: "There was a ring, other than that no."

She said she would still see Mahmun at parties where men paid to have sex with her, and would also see him at other times.

She said: "His behaviour was a lot worse towards me when he was in the company of other men."

She denied sending messages to herself pretending to be from one of the grooming gang.

The trial continues.