Clayton Echard finally got his day in court against the woman who said he fathered her twins. A judge has ordered Laura Owens to spend time in jail for a pregnancy that never existed.

The sentence

Owens was sentenced on Friday to 30 days in jail. She also received seven years of probation. If she breaks the terms of that probation, she could be sent to prison for as long as 12 years.

The punishment follows her guilty plea in August to four felony counts tied to the fake pregnancy claims. The charges included fraud, perjury and identity theft. Her case involved the former "Bachelor" lead plus a second man. Prosecutors agreed to drop 10 other counts in the plea deal.

Two very different speeches

Owens spoke to the judge at the hearing. She admitted to the felonies and said she was deeply sorry for the stress, pain and cost she caused the men involved.

Echard also addressed the court and made clear he did not believe her. He said her tears came from being exposed rather than from empathy. "She's just sorry she got caught," he told the judge.

How the scheme unraveled

Back in 2023, Owens said she was carrying twins and named Echard as the father. She filed a paternity case asking for child support. Echard, who led Season 26 of "The Bachelor," denied he was the father. Owens later said she had suffered a miscarriage.

Investigators found that she had faked the evidence. That included a doctored ultrasound plus a staged pregnancy video. They also found that she lied under oath.