A 24-year-old woman has been sentenced after carrying out a campaign of harassment against her former partner, including sharing an intimate image with his mother in what a court heard was an attempt to “maximise his humiliation.”
Eve Yeoman admitted offences including stalking, criminal damage and sharing an intimate image without consent following the breakdown of her relationship. The court heard she sent the victim’s mother a s3xually explicit image alongside the message: “This is what your son is like. I hope him and all his family rot in hell.”
Prosecutor Victoria Hill said Yeoman’s behaviour escalated after the relationship ended, with the defendant repeatedly contacting the victim, sometimes up to 25 times a day, and sending abusive messages.
She also used indirect methods to communicate, including accessing a shared Amazon Prime Video account to send messages through film titles. Hill told the court: “The defendant started watching movies to send him messages.”
In addition, Yeoman followed the victim in her car, at one point tailgating and overtaking him in a manner that forced him to make an emergency stop.
While on bail, she also threw a bottle at his vehicle as he drove at speed, causing damage including a cracked windscreen, a broken wing mirror and dents to the bonnet, with repair costs totalling £2,547.
In a victim impact statement, the man said he had suffered “significant psychological effects” and added: “I’m always looking over my shoulder and worrying about my safety. I struggle to relax and sleep properly or feel safe in my own environment. I feel anxious and on edge worrying when she might turn up or what she might do.”
His mother described her reaction to receiving the image, saying: “When I opened the message I was sickened to see she had taken a s3xually explicit photo of what I assumed to be my son and Eve. It caused me a lot of distress and we live in fear of what she will do next as she is totally unhinged.”
Defence lawyer Patricia Sheehan said the offences were “shocking” but told the court the defendant has autism and had been struggling with her mental health.
Sentencing, District Judge Orla Austin said: “I accept you are a young woman with no previous convictions but you sent a s3xual image to his mother which was vindictive and designed to cause him maximum distress and humiliation. I take the view that the time you have spent in custody already is the equivalent of an eight to ten week sentence so I will be issuing a community order.”
Yeoman, who had spent 25 days on remand, avoided a custodial sentence and was instead given a 12-month community order. She must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activities. She was also ordered to pay £600 in compensation and is subject to a restraining order preventing any contact with the victim.