'Devious' North Lincolnshire woman jailed after false claims ex abused her

A woman who made headlines by speaking out about her "monster" ex-partner has been jailed after claims he had attacked her were found to be false.

Kirsty Barr, from Barton in North Lincolnshire, gave media interviews in which she said she had been mentally and physically abused by Ryan Kerrison.

She made repeated reports to police that Mr Kerrison had harassed and assaulted her, threatened her with a gun and cut her with a knife.

On one occasion he was remanded in custody for two months after being arrested. On another her claims led to a full firearms response.

Barr, 24, admitted perverting the course of justice when she appeared at Hull Crown Court.

Ch Supt Christine Wilson, of Humberside Police, said: "Ryan Kerrison has been through the most excruciating and harrowing ordeal, being accused and depicted as a monster by a woman who had her own devious and malicious agenda to try and ruin his life.

"Ryan has had to watch everything he had vanish in the blink of an eye, being incarcerated for crimes he didn’t commit and unable to be with his daughter, all because his ex-partner decided she would manipulate the system to see Ryan suffer."

In June 2018, Barr called police to say Mr Kerrison was at her property, throwing stones at her window and harassing her by sending her messages.

He was arrested for a breach of a restraining order that was in place and detained on remand for almost two months before being released by the courts. He was found guilty of the offence by magistrates but the conviction was later quashed.

Six months later Barr claimed Mr Kerrison had chased her up the stairs and assaulted her, before cutting her with a knife and throwing her to the bottom of the stairs. She said he then put a gun to her head.

It prompted a full armed police response. Mr Kerrison was arrested, but evidence showed he could not have committed the offences.

Ch Supt Wilson said: "Barr told her fabricated story to anyone who would listen, portraying Ryan to the whole country through national and social media as a violent man she was terrified of when, in reality, Ryan is the one who was suffering a tirade of abuse from the vicious and false allegations Barr made against him.

"Whilst Ryan can never regain the last four years, I hope there is some comfort for him and his family knowing Barr has now been held accountable for her actions.

"Whilst men are stereotypically the perpetrators of domestic abuse against girls and women, we must ensure in policing we do see the less visible side of these horrific crimes where men are also victims, and always investigate thoroughly and effectively for anyone who is a victim of abuse by a partner.

"Allegations of this nature when falsely made, can have a detrimental impact on genuine victims coming forward." 

Barr was jailed for three years and nine months.