A judge was interrupted by a crying baby in a pram as its mum gave evidence from jail via a video link.

Ms Ashby had been jailed for 18 months after it was discovered she had tried to get her infantryman ex-boyfriend James Davidson charged with sharing nude pictures of her online after he ended their turbulent relationship.

A Facebook account in Mr Davidson’s name which had posted the nude pictures to mutual friends of the former couple was traced back to Ms Ashby, 31, leading to her being charged with perverting the course of justice.

Judge Emma Nott had jailed heavily-pregnant Ashby in November last year, telling the court she reduced her sentence because she was pregnant.

Spotting the pram in the video link from HMP Bronzefield in Surrey Judge Nott said: “It looks as though Ms Ashby has had her child now. Ms Ashby, congratulations on the birth of your child. I am glad you were able to keep your child with you.”

At that moment the baby, which the court had heard was asleep, began crying loudly interrupting Judge Nott, who said: “oops, there we go!”

After Ashby calmed the child by pushing the pram back and forth with her right hand, the judge explained to her she was not to contact Mr Davidson or his sister, directly or indirectly, for a period of three years.

In January 2017, Ashby had made a number of official complaints to police where she claimed Mr Davidson, stationed at the British Army barracks in Tidworth was contacting her on Facebook and sending threats and a nude picture she had given him when they were in a relationship.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Davidson had said: "None of the female soldiers trusted me or wanted to work with me. Rumours spread around the Army and everyone was talking about me and if they were not, I felt they were."

Ashby had admitted one count of fraud by false representation and one count of perverting the course of justice 10 days before her trial.