A ‘SHAMELESS’ Haverfordwest woman who tried to save her boyfriend from being charged with kidnap has today (Jun 20) received a suspended prison sentence.

Anne Marie Churchill, aged 31, lied to police about the whereabouts of King Wusu and then gave him a false alibi for the night before.

Police did not believe her first statement and found Wusu hiding under a bed at her home in Peregrine Close.

And she knew where he had been the night before because he had sent her text messages telling her what he was doing, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Churchill admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The mother of one was jailed for six months, suspended for two years and ordered to complete 180 hours of work for the community and 10 days of a rehabilitation activity.

Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said the offending resulted from the behaviour of her boyfriend and his friend, Samuel Riley-Poku.

Riley-Poku believed that Daniel Depew had stolen some of his clothing and he and Wusu were accused of tracking him down to Castle Gardens, Haverfordwest, assaulting him and then bundling him into the boot of a Ford Ka.

During their trial they were said to have driven Mr Depew into countryside near Narberth where he had been ordered to strip before suddenly running away into bushes wearing just boxer shorts and a pair of socks.

Mr Depew spent the night in a stable and slept under horse blankets.  The following day a farmer fed him, clothed him and drove him back to Haverfordwest.

Riley-Poku and Wusu were found not guilty of kidnapping and assault.

But, said Judge Geraint Walters today, Churchill had not given evidence at their trial and, according to what was now her account of what they had done, they had ‘deviously hoodwinked’ the jury.

He said lying came naturally to Churchill. Not only had she lied about where he was but her statement to police claiming Wusu had been with her all night was ‘lie after lie, a pack of lies.’

“You are a shameless individual. Deep down I think you should go straight to prison and if you were not a single parent you would be going down right now.”

Judge Walters said he wanted to make it clear that it was extremely rare for anyone who made false statements to the police to receive anything other than a sentence of immediate jail.

Judge Walters said he would reserve the case to himself and if Churchill breached any terms of the sentence he would activate it.