Hayley Anne Channell sentenced at Picton Local Court after lying to police about assault

A woman told police that her partner punched her, pushed her to the floor and force-fed her litres of petrol. Only, none of it was true. Here’s what a magistrate had to say about her false accusation.

Police officers interrogated a man for hours after his partner had told them she was force-fed petrol in a vicious assault, but it was later revealed the attack never happened.

Hayley Anne Channell, 41, fronted Picton Local Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to making a false accusation with the intent to subject another to investigation.

Court documents reveal the extent of the lie Channell, who now resides in Goulburn, told police officers when she attended the police station to report the alleged incident.

She said in a statement that on January 12, 2019 her partner arrived home from work angry and demanded she meet him down in the shed.

Channell said when she entered the shed he grabbed a hold of her arm and punched her in the face before pushing her to the ground.

“[He] crouched over me and pushed his knee into my chest and pinched my nose closed,” she said in the statement tendered to court.

Hayley Anne Channell, 41, fronted Picton Local Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to making a false accusation with the intent to subject another to investigation.

“He picked up a five litre jerry can with a pouring funnel attached and poured the contents into my mouth. I immediately knew it was petrol.

“Because he had my nose pinched closed, I had no choice but to open my mouth to try and get a breath. He repeatedly said to me ‘why won’t you die’.”

In the false statement to police, Channell said her eyes and face were burning and she was unable to breathe as she was forced to swallow a lot of the petrol.

“I thought to myself this is it, he’s finally going to kill me,” she said in the statement.

“[He] poured the entire contents of the jerry can into my mouth and over my face.

“He got off me and I rolled onto my stomach onto my hands and knees and vomited. [He] kicked me in the stomach three or four times while I was vomiting up petrol.”

In a victim impact statement tendered to the court, her partner said he was interviewed for hours by police after she made the false statement.

“I was interviewed by police for many hours in regards to the allegation,” he wrote.

“During this whole time, I was anxious and fearful as to whether the police were going to believe her.

Hayley Anne Channell.

“Aside from the fear of being charged with attempted murder, I lost many friends and even employment when my employer somehow found out I was accused of trying to murder her.”

Police facts revealed that Channell also gave a photo to officers of herself that she said she took after the incident, but it was later revealed the photo was from a day when she was hurt after a pressure cooker imploded.

In sentencing on Wednesday, Magistrate Mark Douglass said it was a “serious offence”.

“To make such a complaint can only be done for one reason, to cause harm to the specific person,” he said.

“To say there is a need for specific and general deterrent is an understatement.”

Magistrate Douglass acknowledged that Channell had changed her plea before a two-day hearing and was entitled to a 15 per cent discount.

He said that police have a fine line to walk when it comes to negotiating the rights of those accused and of the victims.

“I can’t help but think this sort of offence will widely erode and diminish that trust police have in using discretion and will make their job more difficult,” Magistrate Douglass said.

Picton Courthouse. Picture: Adelaide Lang

“It is in my view a very serious offence. It is difficult to find there is insight and remorse.

“There was a significant degree of pre mediation. There was a photo tendered [as evidence] showing injuries and burns which were associated with a different incident, nothing to do with [the victim].”

Magistrate Douglass said this was a “toxic relationship” on both accounts, but it does not condone Channell’s behaviour.

He said she abused police resources as a “sword and not a shield” but acknowledged she suffered mental health issues such as depressive order.

Channell was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven months. Her legal parties have lodged an appeal.