A WOMAN has been jailed after plotting with her husband to have her ex-partner arrested.

Sarah Thompson and her husband Aron claimed to have received threatening text messages from the victim and attempted to plant evidence in the form of a mobile phone they said had been used by him.

The victim, a North Yorkshire man who had previously been in a relationship with Mrs Thompson and had a now seven-year-old child with her, was arrested by police and spent almost three months on bail before the case was dropped against him.

The couple, of Beamish Street, Billingham, admitted doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice and were sentenced to nine months jail each – although Mr Thompson’s sentence was suspended for two years.

In a statement read out at Teesside Crown Court, the victim said: “From the outset I maintained that the complaint was vindictive, malicious and was without foundation after he [Aron Thompson] was refused permission to adopt my child.

“It is difficult to put into words the effect this has had. They deliberately tried to ruin my life and prevent me from seeing my daughter again.”

He said he had become depressed and ill and was forced to move jobs after false rumours were spread by a colleague that his arrest was down to the possession of pornographic material.

Prosecutor Jonny Walker said after splitting from the complainant, Mrs Thompson moved in with her co-defendant and took the child with her.

After being refused permission to adopt the young girl, Mr Thompson filed a complaint at Northallerton police station in February last year saying he had received threatening messages from the victim’s number.

One said he would be “dead and buried” with the same threat later being repeated in another message, while there was also a threat to “burn his home down” with him in it.

The complainant was arrested on suspicion of making threats to commit criminal damage and harassment.

Mr Walker said in March last year, while the victim was still on bail, he received a package containing a phone and SIM card.

The phone included a message which had been sent from it about burning the house down.

Mr Walker said: “This was a deliberate attempt to implicate [the victim] and put evidence into his hands.”

Eventually, after spending almost three months on bail the victim was told that the police were not continuing with the case.

However, Mr Thompson contacted police again claiming to have received a further message which said: “Ha, ha, nice try, better luck next time”.

Mrs Thompson also gave police a statement in which she was critical of her ex for sending numerous text messages which had caused her “mental anguish”, adding: “[He] could be capable of anything, I am on edge whenever there is the slightest noise at the house.”

Police later searched the defendants’ home address and found two mobile phones, establishing that both defendants had used them to send the messages to a shared ‘contact’ number known by the victim.

Andrew Stranex, for 30-year-old Mrs Thompson, said the mother-of-three accepted she was the “prime mover” in the messages.

He said: “She got to the stage where she felt she was losing control and what she did was try to resolve this position, but in a way that was entirely wrong.”

Mark Styles, for Mr Thompson, 38, described him as a devoted father and a hardworking man who had been guilty of “gross stupidity”.

He said: “It was very much out of character at a time when he was under an enormous amount of stress.

“He has accepted responsibility and feels he has very much let himself down and also placed his gainful employment in serious jeopardy.”

PC Elizabeth Estensen of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The defendants’ actions in this case were particularly cruel and vindictive and caused the victim and his family untold distress.

“I hope today’s outcome will bring closure for him following a very protracted and difficult time.”