An Ashford woman – who accused her brothers of raping her – has made three similar allegations in the past, it has been revealed.

Jealous Helen Read, 44, made up the vile claims – because she bore a childhood grudge against them.

She believed brothers Michael and Philip had been their parents' favourites and had prevented her from going to her father’s funeral.

But now a judge has heard that another victim of her false claims was her father – who she accused of rape on his deathbed.

A neighbour and a paramedic were also accused of sex attacks during a campaign of harassment by Read, of The Limes, Kingsnorth.

She was jailed for 15 months at Canterbury Crown Court after finally pleading guilty to two charges of perverting the course of public justice.

That followed the arrests by police of Michael and Philip on false allegations after Read wrote written notes handed to support workers.

Judge Adele Williams told her that she had subjected her brothers to “the appalling prospect of being accused of rape.”

She said: “I have no doubt that you caused your brothers a great deal of stress, their friends and family.

“Rape is an ugly and cruel offence and to make false allegations undermines the criminal justice system.

“You wanted to punish your brothers because of what you perceived to be favouritism by your parents in your childhood.

“Those who make false allegations of rape can expect nothing but a custodial sentence.”

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said the three previous rape allegations had not been brought to the attention of the police.

But in January last year she made false allegations against Michael, 43, and then in March made identical claims against Philip.

Both were arrested and she went through forensic tests and made full statements in support of her claims.

But fortunately both men had alibis and police could find no forensic evidence that supported her claims.

Ms Todd added that Philip was also arrested and he told police he hadn’t seen his sister in three years and revealed she had made allegations against their father five years ago.

“He was also aware that she had made an allegation against his brother and had effectively disowned his sister.”

But even when police realised that her claims were just a pack of lies and charged her with perverting the course of justice – she pleaded not guilty.

“Rape is an ugly and cruel offence and to make false allegations undermines the criminal justice system..." - Judge Adele Williams

She claimed she had thrown away her underwear which would have supported her claims – sparking off another fruitless search by police.

The trial date was set – in which both brothers would have faced being accused of rape in the witness box – but she changed her mind and admitted she had been lying.

Richard Ashley, defending, said doctors had diagnosed Read as suffering from a paranoid personality disorder which resulted in her craving attention.

He claimed she had been taken to hospital after overdosing on medication the night before her expected sentencing hearing last week.

He said she had taken the drugs because she want to stop “the voices she was hearing in her head.”

Mr Ashley added: “It’s a case of malice against mental health...bad or mad?

“She suffers from a severe personality disorder and acted on impulse. What she did was as a result of mental illness not malice.”

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