A WOMAN has been jailed after making a false rape allegation against a randomly chosen man in a bid to extend her university work deadlines.

Temitope Adenugba was struggling to cope with coursework at Oxford Brookes University when she accused cleaner Kunle Ogunmola of forcing himself upon her.

The 24-year-old, of Windmill Road, Headington, was studying at Brookes and living at Clive Booth Hall, John Garne Way, Marston, when she made the false report to police in May last year.

Yesterday Oxford Crown Court heard Adenugba had also made another false rape claim against an ex-boyfriend in 2006.

Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, said: “The police attended this defendant’s place of residence on May 21, 2009, in relation to a complaint she had made about some historic abuse that had been committed against her during her childhood.

“As the officer was with her she said to her ‘Can’t talk here, that’s the man who raped me’, pointing towards a cleaner.”

Adenugba then told police Mr Ogunmola had used a key to get into her room on April 13 and raped her.

Mr Walsh said a full police investigation was launched and the cleaner was arrested. But police found any keys taken by Mr Ogunmola had been returned by April 12 and would not have given him access to her room at any time.

Adenugba had also alleged her victim had been harassing her with phone calls, but analysis of both parties’ mobile phones showed no such contact.

Scientific examination of her pyjamas also revealed no link to Mr Ogunmola.

Mr Walsh added that Adenugba had made a fictitious rape complaint against a previous partner in October 2006.

He said: “She admitted to the officer she had wanted to get him into trouble, there was some bad blood between them. She was given a fixed penalty of £80 for wasting police time.”

Walter Scott, defending, said his client had made the claim against Mr Ogunmola after an earlier false allegation of harassment against the same man “didn’t have the desired effect of extending her time to do her coursework”.

He added: “She was not seeking to directly attack the victim, he was chosen rather arbitrarily.”

A psychiatric report said Adenugba might be showing early symptoms of schizophrenia.

Adenugba, who had admitted perverting the course of justice, was jailed for 18 months.

Recorder Rabinder Singh said: “It’s extremely easy to make an allegation of rape when there’s no foundation whatsoever. It’s likely to have the perverse impact of guilty men walking free.”

Outside the court, Victim Support spokesman Paul Fawcett said: “While instances like this are rare, they could deter rape victims from reporting the crime for fear that they won’t be believed.

“Rape is a scandalously under-reported crime.”

Det Ch Insp Colin Paine added: “It is exceptionally rare and unusual for a malicious complaint to be made in this way.

“It caused significant distress to the man who was accused.”