AN innocent man was locked up for more than a week when his girlfriend blamed him for drugs found in their home by police.

Lying Louise Metcalfe insisted the cannabis was not hers when it was discovered in the house in School Aycliffe, County Durham.

She brazenly said: "All of the property is David Ryan's and I don't want him back. I don't want him to use my house as a bail address."

Eight days later, police went back to see Metcalfe to take a full statement, and she told them she lied to evade arrest herself.

The mother-of-three was charged with perverting the course of justice and appeared in court - the same day as Mr Ryan was freed.

Mr Ryan had been held in prison on remand following his arrest on March 7, but was released after Metcalfe's shock admission.

Metcalfe, 34, later admitted possessing Class B drugs and doing an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.

She walked free from court after a judge heard she is doing well on a community order since imposed for a separate offence.

Her barrister told Teesside Crown Court yesterday that she was worried about being jailed for the sake of her young family.

Peter Sabiston, mitigating, said she panicked when police found the drugs, and feared her children would be taken into care.

"It was not done out of a sense of malice," Mr Sabiston said. "It was done out of a sense of panic for the sake of her children.

"It was she who told the police the truth. She did not know or believe this would result in Mr Ryan's remand in custody.

"It was misguided. It was a significant error of judgement, but it was in panic. One can perhaps see why she did it."

The judge, Recorder Carl Gumsley, told Metcalfe he had considered locking her up - despite the impact it would have on her family.

He said: "You chose to commit the offence, and if your children suffer, it would be entirely your responsibility.

"Me sending you to prison would have a substantial effect on those children, but the court will not be held to ransom by people who say they have children so they cannot be locked up.

"You decided to lie about these drugs to try to preserve your position in the house. As a result, an innocent man got locked up for nine days.

"Thankfully, you admitted what you had done when the police came, and it is your good sense that is one of the factors that saves you."

Metcalfe, of Cyprus Grove, School Aycliffe, was given a community order with 12 months of supervision by the Probation Service.