Eleanor Williams (criminal)

Eleanor "Ellie" Williams (born 26 November 2000) is an English criminal, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England who made false claims of multiple serious crimes, including accusations of trafficking, rape, blackmail, and physical violence, none of which were found to have occurred.

Following her 2022 trial, Williams was found guilty on nine counts of perverting the course of justice, contrary to English common law.

She was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

The fictitious claims spread by Williams on the internet had lasting impacts, including multiple attempted suicides, a rise in racially motivated violence, and the creation of the Online Safety Act 2023, which criminalises the spread of false, harmful information online.

Eleanor Williams was born on 26 November 2000.

Williams reportedly had difficulties in her childhood and self-harmed from a young age.

Growing up, in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, Williams' parents split up and she did not see her father often.

She stated that she did not get along with her stepfather or mother, stating it was the reason that she moved out their address to live in her own flat.

At the time of her trial, she was living in Teasdale Road on Walney Island.

In 2017, aged 16, Williams made an allegation against a male individual, named as 'C' in court proceedings.

During an informal event at his house, Williams became drunk and smoked cannabis.

She was sick and 'C', along with others, called for her to be picked up.

Williams' mother collected her, taking her to hospital.

Whilst in hospital, Williams alleged to staff that she had been raped.

She spoke to Cumbria Police about the allegation, stating that 'C' had threatened to set his dog on her and kill her, disposing of her body either in his garden or at sea.

'C' was arrested in November 2017 and after being interviewed, was released.

In January 2018, Williams withdrew her support for the prosecution and ‘C’ faced no further police action.

In 2019 Williams made three allegations against Jordan Trengrove.

After a night out with Trengrove, on 8 and into 9 March 2019, Williams alleged that Trengrove had taken her to an address and raped her.

On 6 May Williams called police, stating she had been attacked that day.

Whilst feigning reluctance to tell police what had happened, she later made the allegation about what happened in March and also on 6 May.

In relation to 6 May, Williams stated that Trengrove had arrived at her flat and after not leaving, had threatened her with a knife, beat her with a shower head and raped her.

Williams presented with bruises on her legs.

Police arrested and interviewed Trengrove, before he was bailed.

On 18 May 2019, Williams called police again, stating that she had returned to her flat after a night out and Trengrove had entered her flat through a door she had left unlocked for a friend.

She alleged Trengrove had hit her face and body, before raping her.

Police located her with injuries.

Trengrove was arrested and remanded in custody until August 2019.

In June 2019, Williams was reported missing a number of times, being located each time by police.

When police located her, Williams was either intoxicated through alcohol or drugs or had injuries, including bruising.

Police had significant concerns in regards to this.

Wiliams was further interviewed by police in July 2019, disclosing further allegations.

She stated that when she was younger, she attended parties at houses where older men were present.

She stated that she was introduced to a male known as ‘Rammy’ when she was 12 years old, and that she had worked in his Indian restaurant.

’Rammy’ was local businessman, Mohammed Ramzan.

Williams stated that he began grooming her, allegedly told her that he loved her and she was special, which Williams told police made her think that she was his girlfriend for a ‘long long time’.

Williams claimed Ramzan began a sexual relationship with her when she was 12 or 13 years old, grooming her to have sex with other men.

Williams alleged that Ramzan had "begged" her to have sex with a friend of his, telling her that she would be doing a "massive favour" for him.

Williams told police she had sex with his friend and stated Ramzan had told her it would only happen once, but that was not the case and it happened more frequently.

She explained she discovered that Ramzan would get money whenever she had sex with other men.