A NORTH EAST dad who kidnapped his own son prompting a huge social media and police appeal has been handed a jail term.

Ian Malone, from Gateshead, went missing with his young son for seven days in July while involved in family court litigation with the child’s mother.

The man, who is in his 40s, was found with the boy in Dunblane in Scotland, safe and well after large appealed for help and launched a nationwide search.

A family court judge had decided that the boy should live with his mother and made an order allowing Mr Malone to see him on certain days.

In court in Newcastle on Monday, where the details were able to be released last night, Mr Malone admitted breaching that order.

A more senior High Court judge has committed Mr Malone to prison after concluding that he was in contempt of court.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot has outlined detail of the case in a written ruling, after the 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.

'Huge mistake'

He said he had planned the “abduction” and accepted that he had made a “huge mistake”.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot said the “planned nature of the abduction” made a suspended sentence inappropriate and imposed a four-month term.

“His reasons for the abduction were that he had been involved in the family proceedings for three years,” said Mrs Justice Arbuthnot in her ruling.

“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.”

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