A PRISONER in a love triangle took revenge on his best friend by getting him arrested for a robbery that never took place.

McCauley Kevin Gordon McHale, 22, was angry when he heard in jail that his girlfriend was now in a relationship with another man, said Emma Downing, prosecuting.

The day after he was released, he made a false claim to police that the second man had robbed him of his mobile phone in the street and injured his hand.

Police woke the other man where he was sleeping at the woman’s house, handcuffed him and put him in a police van outside the house.

But the woman and her family confirmed the innocent man had never left her house at the time of the alleged robbery.

He was released before he was taken to the police station.

McHale, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for eight months at York Crown Court.

He was also banned from contacting the other man in any way under a five-year restraining order.

For him, Mohammed Hussain said the other man had been McHale’s “best friend” and the woman was pregnant with his child.

Judge Simon Hickey told McHale: “You deliberately told the police and persistently told police that young man had robbed you.

"You ended up by causing expense to the police and the hospital. It has to be custody.”

Ms Downing said police had taken McHale to Scarborough Hospital when he falsely claimed his hand was injured and it was X-rayed.

He had been released on May 18 from a 24-week sentence for causing actual bodily harm and threatening behaviour.

At 9.20am on May 19, he went to a stranger’s house and claimed he had been robbed by three men including the best friend. He didn’t name the other two.

The stranger dialled 999 and when police arrived shortly afterwards, McHale spun his story.

But as he gave a witness statement after his wrist was X-rayed, police spotted inconsistencies in his story.

They also heard of the innocent man's alibi and McHale was arrested.

Mr Hussain said the best friend had been arrested at 10.45am and de-arrested at 11.05.

McHale had confessed when he had come to his senses.