A WOMAN from Salisbury has been sentenced after falsely accusing four teenage boys of stealing her handbag.

Stephanie Mary Louise Mazonis, 28, from Elm Grove, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with an 18-month supervision order for perverting the course of justice after calling police to say her handbag, allegedly containing £500, was stolen as she walked along Gilbert Way shortly before 7.30pm on Monday, October 28 last year.

The missing bag was found empty in a bin nearby.

Mazonis said four teenagers were responsible for the offence and they were arrested later that evening.

They denied being involved and were released on police bail as enquiries continued.

Following a thorough investigation by DC Sarah Chaplin from the Salisbury Priority Crime Team she discovered that events were not as Mazonis had reported.

CCTV and other enquiries helped confirm that she did not have the bag in Gilbert Way, as claimed, and falsely accused the four boys as they happened to be in the area at the time.

She was later arrested and charged and pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice before being sentenced at Winchester Crown Court last Friday.

DC Chaplin said: “This woman caused a great deal of distress to the innocent young boys she implicated and their families.

“We take every report very seriously and conduct a thorough investigation but Mazonis falsely made this report for reasons still unknown and has wasted many hours of investigators’ time and police resources. We hope this case highlights that we will take action against those who make false allegations.”