By Adam Parsons, Europe correspondent, Ayia Napa
A British woman found guilty of fabricating a claim that she was raped by a gang of Israeli youths is likely to fly home tomorrow, even if she is given a prison sentence.
The 19-year-old, from Derbyshire, insists she was the victim of a horrific attack.
She has told a court in Cyprus that a statement she made withdrawing her allegations was given under duress and while facing threats from Cypriot police.
Last week, she was found guilty of the offence of "public mischief" – in other words, of falsifying an allegation of a crime.
The judge said she had willingly had sex with one man, and then lied out of a sense of shame.
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The woman was told that she faced up to a year in prison.
However, it is understood that the most likely sentence is either a fine or a suspended sentence. In both cases, she would then be free and return to Britain.
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If she is sent to prison, but for a period of around a month or less, she would also be allowed to leave because she has already spent time in detention.
However, if the judge were to impose a harsher prison term, it is understood that the woman would likely receive a presidential pardon almost immediately, again allowing her to return home.
"It would be the only way to stop her ending up in prison, so a presidential pardon would be very likely," one Cypriot source told Sky News.
"Diplomatically, there is no desire for this woman to be sent to prison."
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