Nigerian woman who falsely claimed she had been trafficked to work as prostitute is jailed

A Nigerian woman has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to making false statements to gardaí. The 34-year-old woman arrived at Store Street Garda Station in October 2019 claiming she had been trafficked to Ireland and forced into prostitution. Over subsequent months, she provided five statements detailing her alleged captivity in Balbriggan. Gardaí conducted an extensive investigation spanning hundreds of hours, including searches of the area and CCTV analysis. Investigation ultimately revealed the account was fabricated. Handwriting experts linked documentation found in her hostel accommodation and a discovered diary to the woman. Evidence from bank records and CCTV footage contradicted her narrative. The woman, previously resident in Carrickmacross, Monaghan, pleaded guilty to three counts of knowingly making false statements between October 2019 and December 2020. Judge Ronan Munro described her actions as premeditated and calculated, noting they diverted resources from genuine victims and undermined legitimate trafficking complaints.