A young father falsely accused of rape by Eleanor Williams says he was driven to suicidal thoughts over her allegations and has hit out at those still siding with her.
Jordan Trengrove was only 19 when he was arrested for raping Williams and spent 73 days on a prison sex offenders' wing.
Her accusations, which have since been proved baseless, led to pitchfork vigilantes smashing the windows at his home which was graffitied with the word 'rapist'.
Williams, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Preston crown court after a jury found her guilty of perverting the course of justice.
Now 22, Mr Trengrove said he believed she should get "life in prison" over the damaging slurs which cost him and a number of other men their reputations and livelihoods.
The young dad says his mum saw him try to take his own life after the damaging accusation severely impacted his mental health.
"She was getting so much support and there was so much grief," he told The Sun.
"I wanted away from it all."
Had he been found guilty of rape, Mr Trengrove would have faced a sentence of up to 22 years for a crime he didn't commit, which would have also taken a father away from his baby son.
"I think she should have been given life. Perverting the course of justice can hold the maximum of life ," he told Piers Morgan's Uncensored show on Talk TV.
While the crime does carry a maximum punishment of a life sentence, lawyers say such a sentence is incredibly rare.
In April 2021, former barrister Anisah Arif Ahmed was given the first life sentence for the crime after a court heard she made up allegations of rape and assault against an ex-partner, although this was reduced to 10 years upon appeal.
"[Willaims] has destroyed many lives, not only mine, so she should have her life took away from her," Mr Trengrove added.
He added: "Even now there are still believers on her side. This destroyed us all."
Mr Trengrove says that he and his partner were taking steps to rebuild their lives, and were seriously considering relocating to another area as they don't want to be in Barrow when Williams is released.
The 22-year-old made up allegations she had been groomed, trafficked, raped and beaten and shared photographs of injuries she claimed were sustained in the attack on Facebook.
The post resulted in backlash against the men accused, with racists crawling out of the woodwork and using her false allegations to further abuse the men, many of whom were Asian.
A hammer was later found near Williams' home which she had used to stage the violent attack, causing herself a swollen black eye.
Williams' mother later said her daughter had just been trying to "get people to listen to her".
Speaking on Good Morning Britain after the sentencing on Tuesday, Mr Trengrove said he felt "relief" at her being jailed.
"Because she’s had time served, I felt like it should have been longer, because in reality she’s only going to do two more years and then she’s going to be out.
"I don’t think it’s fair at all because she’s destroyed multiple lives. I think she should have been given a life sentence."
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
