A SOUTHAMPTON man has been sentenced for calling the police and claiming a man had been kidnapped at his ex-girlfriend's house.

Jack McRae faced a judge at Southampton Crown Court having admitted one count of making an unauthorised mobile phone call from a prison.

The 23-year-old, from Golden Grove, had called Hampshire Police on January 31 claiming to be a man called Alan Warwickshire.

He said his brother, "Jermaine Devon", had been kidnapped and was being held at an address in Southampton.

Police went to the address to investigate, but found it to be occupied by Natalie Marchant, a former partner of McRae's.

Tracing the phone call from her mobile, they were able to identify McRae and searched his prison cell at HMP Exeter.

Although they did not find a phone, they did seize a sim card holder and an iPhone charger, and he later admitted making the call.

Peter Asteris, defending, said McRae acknowledged his actions were "stupid".

The court heard that McRae had previously been convicted 10 times for 18 offences including robbery and causing grievous bodily harm, and was serving time at the prison for a conviction in September, for escaping from the crown court at a previous hearing and making an unauthorised transmission from prison.

His escape sparked a major manhunt across Southampton, although the rape allegations he was facing when he fled the court in August last year were later dropped.

And an investigation into allegations of prison officers smuggling mobile phones into Winchester Prison was launched earlier this year after a prison worker claimed colleagues had illegally supplied a mobile to McRae.

Operations support officer Sonya Knight narrowly avoided jail for one charge of misconduct in public office for forming an inappropriate relationship with him, although she denied it was sexual.

Police are continuing to investigate the allegations made by Knight at the court hearing.

Judge Peter Ralls, who recorded a not guilty verdict for a second allegation of the a second charge of making an unauthorised transmission from prison, which McRae denied, sentenced him to a one-year sentence to run concurrently with his existing sentence.

He must also pay a £100 victim surcharge.