THE former Apprentice star who was jailed after a court-battle over custody of her son has said she has "no regrets" over involvement and that her character has been "assassinated".

Sharon McAllister, 40, was sent to jail after a sheriff found her in contempt of court for failing to send her six-year-old son on visits with his father.

She was also criticised after court hearings were deferred and for racking up legal aid bills, as the case has been heard more than 30 times over a four-year period.

The mother-of-two was led from Perth Sheriff Court in handcuffs last month and spent her 40th birthday behind bars at Cornton Vale prison.

She was given a three-month sentence, but is now back home after being released on appeal. Her legal team are now challenging the legality of the decision to jail her.

She has now been reported to say that she had done "nothing wrong" and instead said the missed meetings were due to her son being ill and a mix-up of court papers, amongst other things.

She said: "It's not fair that I've been painted as a malicious mother and law-breaker. All I've ever done is to look after the best interests of my son.

"People see pictures of me in handcuffs and think I'm a criminal. But I'm not... my character has been assassinated."

"I just did what any mother would do when they have a sick child," she said.

"My son had slapped cheek syndrome and another time he was sick after eating sausages.

"Surely a mother trying to look after her sick son shouldn't be done for some kind of offence?"

She added: "I stand by my son being ill, which is why he didn't go to the contact with his father - it's not that I couldn't be bothered.

"I've no regrets because I did the right thing."

Ms McAllister, who lives near Dollar, Clackmannanshire, appeared on the second series of the Alan Sugar-fronted reality show, The Apprentice, and was fired halfway through for being "too nice".

She previously held a senior £50,000 position at a college in England, but now is living on working tax credits, maintenance and child benefits.

She was jailed after Sheriff Fiona Tait told her she had repeatedly sabotaged periods of contact between her son and his father, Craig Middleton, a college lecturer of Alva, Clackmannanshire.

She said the breaches were "flagrant contempts of court".

Her sentence was hailed by fathers' rights campaigners who said it finally showed courts were toughening up on mothers who flouted court order agreements.