A mother and daughter are today behind bars after trying to frame the teenager's former boyfriend for rape.

Louise Brazil, 47, and her 18-year-old daughter Ada, accused Shaun Howes of rape in an act of revenge after he ended his relationship with the girl.

Louise Brazil, known as Kate, was jailed for six months and her daughter, who is pregnant, was sentenced to three months at a young offenders' institution.

At Lewes Crown Court, Judge Guy Anthony told the two women he had no alternative to giving them custodial sentences. He said: "Making false allegations of rape is a very serious matter. It might have led to the prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of a young man."

The court heard Mr Howes, now 21, began a relationship with Ada Brazil when she was 14 and he was 16 but it ended in October 2003 and he moved out of her family home in Denham Road, Burgess Hill.

Louise Brazil went in tears to the police in March 2004 and told officers Mr Howes had raped her daughter. Ada Brazil later told officers she had become pregnant at 15 after being raped.

But after questioning Mr Howes, police were satisfied he was innocent and he was released after being cautioned for having under-age sex.

The mother and daughter were arrested. Ada Brazil admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice. Her mother denied the charge but was convicted after a three-day trial during which the court heard the women came from a traveller family with strict rules, among them that sex was not allowed until the age of 17.

Mr Howes, from Newick, was in court and said after the trial he did not know Ada Brazil was pregnant when he ended their relationship.

He described feeling angry and scared when he was arrested. He said: "All this was done out of spite and for revenge. She hated the fact I had a new girlfriend. It has been two years of sheer hell."

Mr Howes, whose new girlfriend Tammy Chapman recently gave birth to their daughter Jessica, praised the police for their support.

Det Const Chris Smith, who led the investigation, said he hoped the case would not deter genuine rape victims. He said: "Anyone who reports a rape allegation in good faith has absolutely nothing to worry about. All allegations of rape are fully investigated."

In court Martha Walsh, defending Ada Brazil, said the allegations were made because the teenager had been frightened by the prospect of raising their child alone and that she had breached her community's customs.

The teenager was now in a stable relationship and was expecting her second child in September.