Woman claimed rape to get lift home from gardaí

A judge has said that a woman who falsely claimed in an emergency ‘999’ call to gardaí that she had been raped “put on an Oscar-winning performance”.

Judge Patrick Durcan made the comment before imposing a suspended six- month jail term on Christina Dowie, aged 47, from Traderee Court, Shannon, Co Clare, after finding her guilty of making a false report of rape in two phone calls to the emergency services on March 18, 2015.

Judge Durcan said that Dowie’s actions on the night were “reprehensible” where, he said, she made two calls in order for gardaí to give her a lift back to her home in Shannon from Sixmilebridge 8km away.

He said: “All she wanted was to use the Garda as a cheap mode of transport.”

An intoxicated Dowie made two ‘false rape’ 999 calls and in the second call, three hours after the first, contacted the ambulance service.

In response to the call for the ambulance, two Garda mobile patrol units along with an ambulance arrived at Dowie’s boyfriend’s home in Sixmilebridge.

However, Dowie told the ambulance crew she did not want them when they refused to allow her bring her pet dog, Charlie, on board.

In evidence, Sgt Ann-Marie Starr said: “Ms Dowie refused to go in the ambulance because the ambulance wouldn’t take her dog and I was there when she asked them to leave as they were of no benefit to her.”

Recordings of both 999 calls were played in court. In the first, at 2.30am, an audibly upset Dowie said: “I was raped and my boyfriend watched it.”

Gardaí rushed to the scene at her boyfriend’s home at Lodge Rd, Sixmilebridge. Sgt Starr said that, on arriving at the home, Dowie had her bags packed at the door and said: “I’m ready— let’s go.”

Sgt Starr said: “She just wanted to be taken and driven back to Shannon.”

She said Dowie’s boyfriend, Declan Cullinan, told gardaí at the scene that Dowie “considered gardaí to be a cheap taxi”.

Sgt Starr said: “Ms Dowie was highly intoxicated and wasn’t distressed in any way and she wanted basically for us to give her a lift back to Shannon.”

Sgt Starr said gardaí called a local taxi firm from Ms Dowie’s own phone to come and collect her.

Solicitor for Dowie, John Casey, said Dowie has emotionally had a very difficult life.

“She did not cover herself in glory on this night,” said Mr Casey