Woman, 23, who sent abusive texts to HERSELF is jailed for 18 months

A woman has been jailed for wasting police time after she sent abusive texts to herself in an attempt to frame a man.

Emily-Jo Banks, 23, claimed she was being targeted by a man in his 20s, telling police that he followed her home and spied on her in her back garden in Folkestone, Kent.

She told police that the man also sent her threatening texts, attacked her and climbed on top of her garage throughout August and September 2015.

Officers initially acted on her concerns but they grew suspicious after they visited the man and found he had not sent any messages in the times that Banks had claimed she had received them.

The messages also stopped being received while police were inside Banks’ home.

Officers decided to examine her phone and found that Banks was in fact logged into the man’s social media profiles and was sending the messages to herself.

Her phone was also linked to an email address that Banks claimed the man had used to send information about herself to social services.

Banks was arrested and appeared at Canterbury Crown Court earlier this month, where se was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

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Investigating officer Detective Constable Natasha Russell said: “Banks intentionally perverted the course of justice by lying to the police.

“Not only has she caused significant distress to the victim but she has also wasted the time of hardworking officers.

“The fact that she has received a prison sentence shows the seriousness of this offence. We do not take this issue lightly and anyone caught will be dealt with appropriately.”

Top pic: Kent Police