A FORMER soldier who breached a restraining order landed himself in even more trouble by producing a bogus document in court to back up a false alibi.

But William Strefford’s deception unravelled and he has now been jailed for 10 months – jeopardising the new life he had started in Australia.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that ironically it was unlikely that Strefford, 42, of Leigh Road, Leigh, would have been jailed for breaching the order but his lies meant a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Strefford had been banned from contacting his ex-wife and their children after a separation following their 20-year marriage, but he breached the court order by ringing her from a phone box.

During a trial he denied the offence and he gave his lawyer a document purporting to show that just nine minutes after the call had been made at lunchtime on January 30, 2014, he was logging onto a computer at Fulwood Army barracks in Preston, where he was based.

The CPS lawyer then received a telephone call from the purported author of the document, Sergeant Peter Roberts, 'who confirmed it was accurate', said Frank Dillon, prosecuting.

His alibi meant that he could not have made the phone call to his ex-wife Claire Tither, but during subsequent police investigations officers spoke to Sgt Roberts, who said he had not written the document nor spoken to the CPS lawyer.

Strefford denied attempting to pervert the course of justice but was convicted of that and breaching the non-molestation order after a trial at the crown court last month.

Sentencing, Judge Stephen Riordan took into account Strefford's distinguished Army career – serving in Bosnia, Iraq and Northern Ireland – and his experiences which left him with post-traumatic stress disorder that may have contributed to his marriage breakdown and the offences.

The judge imposed a five-year restraining order keeping Strefford away from his wife and their children.

Simon Nicholl, defending, said it was a personal tragedy all round.

He explained that if Strefford was jailed for 12 months or more he would be refused a visa to his Australia, where he has started living, and if jailed at all his visa application would cause it to be considered.