Hao Li, a 29-year-old Chinese graduate student, was sentenced to six years in prison by Durham Crown Court on 16/1. In addition to the prison term, Li is prohibited from contacting or approaching the victim for six years under a court order.
According to court documents, Li and an unnamed police officer had sexual relations in November 2024. The officer, who was off-duty at the time, drove Li home. Shortly after, Li contacted the police, accusing him of rape. He was arrested half an hour later while in his car.
The false rape accusation severely impacted the officer, who was detained for 35 hours and suspended from duty for five months. However, the officer avoided charges due to his foresight: he had set his phone to record their earlier conversation and left it recording, capturing the entire encounter.
Li was charged with obstructing justice but fled the UK before her case went to trial. She was later arrested at Manchester Airport upon her return flight and detained in July 2025.
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Hao Li was convicted after the police officer's phone recorded the entire encounter. Photo: North News |
Li denied three charges of obstructing justice but was convicted after a two-week trial in December 2025. The prosecution stated that in WhatsApp messages sent to the officer, Li admitted the rape accusation was false and begged for help to avoid trouble.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Nathan Adams stated that Li was the "initiator" of the sexual encounter, yet she made false accusations. He emphasized that without the recording, the officer would have been charged with multiple counts of rape. The judge highlighted the seriousness of these accusations and their impact on the victim, warning that Li's actions risk deterring "genuine victims from coming forward."
Li's defense lawyer stated she had no prior convictions, no drug or alcohol addiction, and a low risk of reoffending. The judge ruled that Li would serve approximately half of her six-year sentence before conditional release, after which she would likely face deportation to China.
Tue Anh (via Daily Mail)
