A man who was falsely accused of rape by a woman who lied about being a victim of grooming has spoken about the devastation her lies wrought on his life.
In Jordan Trengove’s first TV interview since Eleanor Williams was jailed, he told Good Morning Britain hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid her lies drove him to attempt to take his life.
Williams, 22, posted pictures of her injuries and an account of being groomed, trafficked and beaten on social media in 2020, but Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer. She was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and jailed for eight and a half years.
Jordan, who spent 73 days in prison after he was charged as a result of Williams' claims, said he was ‘relieved’ she had been jailed.
However, he added: “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.”
Jordan said her claims ‘destroyed’ him and those around him, describing the ordeal over the past years as ‘awful’.
He said: “I had ‘rapist’ spray-painted on my house, my windows smashed. I tried taking my own life, because it just affected me in every way possible.”
He continued: “I would love to know why she’s done this and what’s made her do this. There’s got to be an explanation for everything and we’ve not been given one.”
Host Susanna then asked Jordan how he thinks Williams’ crime will affect legitimate victims of rape.
“I do feel like it will affect genuine victims coming forward,” he said. “Because they might think they’re going to get arrested and jailed, but that’s not the case.
“There was significant evidence against Ellie that she was lying.”
Jordan previously said in his impact statement that his time remanded in custody will haunt him for the rest of his life.
He said: “I was totally out of my depth and felt no-one was listening to me, being accused of rape and labelled a sex offender.
“My time on remand will haunt me for the rest of my life. I was put on a sex offenders' wing and was forced to share a cell with a man who told me why he was in prison. I felt sick.”
He added that things calmed down after the charges were dropped, until Williams' Facebook post went viral leading him to try and end his life.
He said: "At one stage I attempted to take my own life. I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD."
He continued: "This will stay with me for life but I can now get help to move forward."
*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
