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A "traumatised" father who disappeared with his four-year-old son in breach of a family court judge's order has been jailed for four months.
Ian Malone, from Gateshead, disappeared for seven days in July while involved in litigation with the child's mother.
They were found safe and well in Dunblane, Stirling, following a public appeal and nationwide search.
A High Court judge ruled that the "planned nature of the abduction" made a suspended sentence inappropriate.
A family court judge had originally decided that the boy should live with his mother and had made an order allowing Mr Malone to see him on certain days.
Mr Malone, who is aged in his 40s, admitted breaching that order.
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot, a more senior High Court judge, committed Mr Malone to prison after concluding he was in contempt of court.
'Huge mistake'
The judge outlined detail of the case in a written ruling, released on Tuesday, after a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in Newcastle on Monday.
Mr Malone had told Mrs Justice Arbuthnot how he thought he was being removed from his son's life and felt traumatised by the family court proceedings.
He said he had planned to take his son away and accepted that he had made a "huge mistake".
In her ruling, Mrs Justice Arbuthnot said: "His reasons for the abduction were that he had been involved in the family proceedings for three years.
"He said he had found them extremely difficult and believed that he was being removed from his son's life.
"The judge had agreed with his ex-partner and not with him.
"He said he felt traumatised by the proceedings, and they had had a profound effect upon him.
"He accepted he had made a huge mistake.
She added: "An immediate custodial order is the only appropriate sentence reflecting the gravity of the contempt."
Hope that when mothers do the same, applies to them as they get away with murder in the courts
Hope that when mothers do the same, applies to them as they get away with murder in the courts
My exact thoughts. Mother of my child has been in breach for 6 months now whilst I wait for enforcement. Will she be imprisoned?
Much doubt that. Sick of the disparity and discrimination against male parents.
@cofeeman They will all ways hide behind and use the children, also they have cafcass, legal system and courts on there side it's laughable but realy the whole system needs to be Overhauled. The best Joke of all the courts do not care about the fathers!!
i feel sorry for the father, seems like a act of desperation. just goes to show his frame of mind with the thought of loosing his child
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