A 22-year-old man who dragged a boy around with a belt looped around his neck because he thought he had stolen his friend's car has been jailed for nine months for false imprisonment.

Philip Eaves, of Rosebay Crescent, Grove, denied 16-year-old Benjamin Pickett was in discomfort during the incident in Wantage on October 19 last year. He claimed he was making a citizen's arrest.

Oxford Crown Court was told Eaves had grabbed Benjamin and slipped a leather belt over his head because he though the boy had stolen his friend Robert Shaw's car - a charge Benjamin denied.

Benjamin's friend Ross Quainton called the police. Sgt Christopher Biddle told the court Benjamin was gasping and looked frightened.

Eaves, who had pleaded not guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment and making threats to kill, was found guilty of the false imprison- ment charge on Wednesday.

The jury found him not guilty of making threats to kill and were directed to find Eaves not guilty of kidnap by Judge Peter Crawford.

Judge Crawford had directed the jury earlier in the trial to return a not guilty verdict on a fourth charge, that of possession of an offensive weapon, a knife, because there was insufficient evidence.

Eaves was sentenced to nine months for false imprisonment and recalled to serve six months of a previous sentence, for which he was on licence at the time this offence was committed.