THE family of a young dad jailed for "riding a horse at speed" have pleaded for his release from prison.

John Ginty - known to neighbours as the Hemlington Cowboy - was stunned when county court officials arrived at his home with a warrant for his arrest citing offences involving riding and tethering his pony.

The 25-year-old handed himself in expecting to "sort out" the issue, but was arrested and sent to prison for six weeks to the horror of his partner and three young children.

Girlfriend Nicola Bradley said: "If you get caught speeding in a car you get three points on your licence - but if you speed on a pony you get dragged off to jail. How is this justice?"

Neighbours say John and his pony are harmless and have never caused any danger to kids on the Hemlington housing estate in Middlesbrough.

But District Judge Simon Read ordered him to be locked up for persistent breaches of a court order brought by the Erimus housing association who say he was tethering his steed on their land without permission.

The judge ruled in his absence that he had breached the order by "riding a horse at speed" and imposed a jail term - an unusual course of action in a non-criminal court.

Nicola said: "I'm devastated, I can't believe this has happened to John and I haven't been able to break the news to the kids, although they are obviously wondering where he is. I've just had to tell them he's gone away for a while.

"He didn't know he was supposed to be in court and if he had he would have gone and sorted it out.

"He handed himself in to the court officers because he wanted to clear up the misunderstanding but they took him to jail.

"When you look at the thugs and criminals who walk free from courts all the time how can it be fair to jail a dad for riding a pony? No one can believe it has happened."

A neighbour of the couple said: "He rides his pony around bare-back, he's like a cowboy but he's not doing any harm. He lets kids ride it as well but makes sure the horse is only going at a slow walk. I can't see any sense in him being jailed over it."

Another local said: "He's really popular because he'll bring his pony down and let the children stroke it. The horse is really good natured and I've never even seen it break into a trot.

"There are people who have done a lot worse than John walking around this estate, he shouldn't be in prison it's disgusting."

A county court order in June said John Ginty: "Whether by himself or by instructing or encouraging any other person to allow, permit or leave any horse or any other equine animal on the land belonging to the claimant, more particularly known as Hemlington."

This month, he was ruled to have breached the order by "on June 30 riding a horse at speed on and across public roads and on grassy areas to which the public have access."

He was ruled to have left horses on the disputed land on five occasions, and on August 3 rode the horse (though not at speed) on the land.

District Judge Read ordered John "be committed for contempt to Her Majesty's Prison for a total of six weeks."

A spokesman for Erimus Housing said: “It is disappointing the individual has failed to abide by the court order we obtained earlier this year. We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards anti-social behaviour, which has a negative impact on the local community.”