A woman from the West Midlands has been sentenced after a vengeful campaign against her former boyfriend saw her cause more than £10,000 worth of damage to his vehicles and subject him to a sustained period of stalking.
A Seven-Month Campaign of Harassment
The North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how Joanne Butler, 56, of Kidderminster, embarked on a seven-month harassment campaign between March and October last year. The court was told that Butler stalked her ex-partner, even following him on dates and taking photographs of the interior of his house.
Prosecutor Julia Fox stated that the actions were calculated. 'She went around the back of his house during the night. This was a calculated decision rather than a knee-jerk reaction,' Ms Fox said. 'She saw he had a guest staying at the property and came around the next day to cause more damage.'
Significant Financial and Emotional Fallout
The damage inflicted by Butler was substantial. She caused £8,300 of damage to his BMW and a further £2,000 of damage to his Citroen van. The financial impact did not stop there, as the victim also faced a significant increase in his car insurance costs for this year and the next two years.
In a victim impact statement, the man described the stress and anxiety he experienced, compounded by the financial loss. The situation became so severe that he was forced to pay for security cameras to be installed at the front of his property. When Butler became aware of these, he had to install further cameras at the rear of his home.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Butler, who represented herself in court, pleaded guilty to charges of criminal damage and harassment. During the proceedings, she argued that her actions were a response to being upset about the break-up, telling the court, 'I feel like I’ve been treated badly as well.'
However, her own mitigation was cut short after she attempted to question the victim's character. The court handed down a sentence which includes a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days and 270 hours of unpaid work. Butler was also ordered to pay £1,204 in damages and was made subject to an 18-month restraining order against her victim.
