A former candidate in the 'Apprentice' reality TV series  was sentenced to 3 months in gaol at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday for failing to obey its orders for contact time between her son and his father. The Dundee Courier report is at tinyurl.com/ptfe6qr.

Ian Maxwell, National Manager of Families Need Fathers Scotland, said: “It gives us no pleasure to see Ms McAllister receive a prison sentence. However, it may serve a purpose if it reminds parents with care that a contact order is not optional. We see examples every week where the intentions of the court are frustrated when children are not presented for their specified time with the non-resident parent  for the flimsiest of reasons. This damages the relationship between the children and their non-resident parent, usually the father, and creates further tension between the separated parents.

The sheriff in Perth gave many warnings before finding Ms McAllister in contempt. We feel the courts should take a grip much earlier of these failures to obey orders that were made after due consideration of the best interests of the child. Courts should remind both parents that it is their duty actively to promote a good relationship between the children and their former partner. There is a raft of research that shows children do better in all aspects of their life when both parents are fully involved in supporting them. Estranged partners don't have to like each other as individuals but they should respect each other as parents. That's what 'putting the children first' means.”