False rape claim to get lift home from strip show

The woman was taken by police to Masterton police station and later dropped home. Photo / File

A Masterton woman falsely claimed to have been raped because she wanted police to give her a ride home after watching a male strip show.

Helen Maree Bidlake, 25, was yesterday convicted of making a false statement and sentenced to 100 hours' community work when she was sentenced in Masterton District Court.

According to the police summary of facts, on April 17 Bidlake, who is unemployed, attended a male strip show in Greytown.

She did not want to pay for a taxi back to Masterton so rang 111 and said she had been raped by a male she had met at the show.

She was taken by police to Masterton police station and later dropped home.

On April 19 she made a formal complaint, again saying she had been raped while in Greytown.

Three days later Bidlake told police she had made up the allegation, saying she knew police would give her a ride home if she said she had been raped.

Defence lawyer Jock Blathwayt said Bidlake had just broken up with her partner and was under stress at the time.

"She has other issues," Mr Blathwayt said.

Judge Michael Behrens said Bidlake had been charged with a similar offence, where she had made a false statement, in 2010.