A drug addict who invented a robbery and falsely accused three teenagers of attacking him is facing jail.

The innocent 16-year-old boys were arrested and held in police custody for 12 hours on August 17 after Michael McKay, of Leatherhead Road, Oxshott, made the allegation.

McKay, 20, dreamed up the robbery after he approached the boys outside Richmond station and they refused to beat up someone he knew for £50, Kingston Crown Court heard.

He called police from the Pazza Idea cafe, in the Quadrant, Richmond, before driving around with officers to look for the trio.

The boys’ mothers met them at the police station, and they only escaped prosecution when CCTV later revealed McKay was lying.

Benedict Leonard, prosecuting, said McKay called police from the cafe at 10pm on August 17, falsely claiming the boys confronted him and smashed his mobile phone as he waited for a bus near the station. McKay then told police the teenagers punched him in the head and he fled on a bus.

Mr Leonard said: “[McKay] was unable to give specific descriptions or details of locations of the incidents.

“CCTV outside the station showed there had been no aggressive behaviour between the three youths and McKay. He said he was unable to explain the discrepancy.

“All three [boys] were interviewed with their mothers having attended the police station. They were in custody for about 12 hours each.”

Mr Leonard told the court the teenagers told police they were on their way home when McKay approached them and offered them money to attack someone. They said he followed them on to the bus before getting off at the cafe.

Thomas Garner, defending, said he could not explain why McKay decided to invent the attack, describing it as a “very peculiar offence”.

He said: “The gentlemen in question were unknown to Mr McKay.”

On Monday, November 15, Judge Andrew Campbell told the court it was “almost inevitable” McKay would receive a custodial sentence.

McKay pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Judge Campbell adjourned sentencing until December 6, to assess drug reports.

McKay will be sentenced at the same time for committing a burglary at his parent's address in Oxshott and stealing his father’s Range Rover, worth £40,000.