A barrister jailed for failing to pay child maintenance has been released.
Michael Cox, 43, from Hythe, Hampshire, was jailed for 42 days at the end of June for failing to pay £43,000 owed to the Child Support Agency.
Fathers 4 Justice protesters and his 13-year-old son protested outside Bristol Prison, demanding his release.
Mr Cox was released on bail by a judge at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, and is now planning to challenge the decision to commit him to prison.
Legal advisor
He said: "The tragic irony of this case is that the only time I have been unable to care for my children is when the state removed me from them.
"I have suffered the trauma of being locked in solitary confinement for no good reason and naturally I have been anxious about the welfare of my children and family."
He maintains that, because his children live with him half of the time, he should not have to pay.
In court Mr Cox's ex-wife, Lesley Peach, begged magistrates not to jail him, arguing that she would not be able to work without Cox looking after their children.
Mr Cox is a legal adviser to Fathers 4 Justice.
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