Calgary woman sentenced for lying about kidnapping

Calgary woman sentenced for lying about kidnapping article image.

Kevin Martin, Calgary Herald
Published on: December 8, 2016 | Last Updated: December 8, 2016 5:58 PM MST

A Calgary woman who lied to police by reporting she’d been kidnapped off the street by two men has been handed a conditional sentence and two years of probation.

Provincial court Judge Heather Lamoureux on Thursday accepted submissions by defence counsel Sean Fagan that a conditional discharge for ARW was appropriate.

ARW, 30, earlier pleaded guilty to public mischief for claiming she’d been abducted to an unknown location with a pillow case over her head and threatened with sexual assault before being released.

When her ex-boyfriend learned of her claim, he believed he knew who was responsible and threatened to take matters into his own hands, Lamoureux noted.

The judge said ARW’s ruse expended “hours of police time, both with the investigation and in dealing with this citizen who had been threatened by the former boyfriend, who believed her story.”

Because of the threat, RCMP had to go to the man’s home to inform him of the threat against him.

In all, Calgary police spent nearly $4,000 in man hours investigating the phony report, while the RCMP paid a little over $1,000.

But because of ARW’s financial state she will only have to pay back $2,500, either in cash, or community service, during her probationary term.

Lamoureux said ARW will only receive a discharge, which will mean no criminal record, if she pays off the restitution.

ARW concocted the kidnapping story, reported to police in July, 2015, because she was late picking up her kids from child care.

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