A woman who falsely accused an ex-boyfriend of raping her has escaped being sent to prison.

Sarah Mealing blighted Graham Fuller's life after she made the claim.

Mealing, 43, alleged he had repeatedly attacked her at their home in Hove.

The marketing manager for an insurance company was arrested threetimes and at one point was held in custody for 13 hours.

He was able to show police that he was nowhere near Mealing at the times she claimed he raped or sexually assaulted her.

On one of the dates he was on a stag weekend in Jersey and on another he was at a company Christmas party in Scotland.

On a third occasion Mr Fuller was able to prove he was on a flight to South Africa.

Mealing, now of Sillwood Place, Brighton, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice at her trial in January.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall told her yesterday that she was an accomplished liar.

He said that anyone who made such allegations could normally expect to be jailed.

However, he added that because of her mental health problems it would "serve no purpose" to send her to prison.

During Mealing's week-long trial Mr Fuller told the jury how the allegations had blighted his life.

He told the court that they met while working for Legal and General in Hove, but they split up in 2004 after 12 years.

Mr Fuller said their relationship was happy until Mealing fell off a chair and broke two bones in her spine in 1995.

She was unable to return to work full-time, became depressed and began drinking heavily and started to self-harm.

She was admitted to hospital at least 40 times and at one point was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

He said he supported her but finally ended their relationship. From the summer of 2004 she repeatedly dialled 999 and claimed he had raped and beaten her.

Police investigated each time, even though she gave conflicting details and was reluctant to press charges.

After they split she moved out of their flat in The Drive, Hove, to Brunswick Square.

She continued to claim that she had been attacked by Mr Fuller until October 2005.

Christina Laing, QC, defending, said Mealing was a desperate woman who had wrongly made allegations against the person she believed was responsible for ending their relationship.

She said Mealing was continuing to be treated for her mental health problems and had not tried to contact Mr Fuller since she was arrested.

Mealing was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years when she appeared for sentence at Hove Crown Court yesterday.