Community sentence for threats and Facebook offending
A 23-year-old man who threatened to set fire to a woman’s house, and used Facebook to send her brother a nude photo of her, was sentenced to supervision and community work.
In the Christchurch District Court, Michael Peter Kelly was sentenced on charges of intimidating a woman by threatening to damage her house, causing harm by posting a digital communication, and possession of pipes for smoking cannabis.
The Sydenham labourer’s defence counsel, Ros Burnside, said the victim had been in an on-off relationship with Kelly, which was troubled and toxic.
Problems developed and Kelly acted inappropriately, letting jealousy get in the way, she said.
Kelly was remorseful and knew his actions were totally wrong and harmful.
Judge Emma Smith said Kelly was jealous and behaved in an infantile and immature fashion.
She said the victim returned home to 19 messages on her phone from Kelly, and when he spoke to her he made comments that clearly stated he was threatening to burn her house down.
Judge Smith said the woman was scared and fearful, and it was a cowardly act.
Kelly and the victim shared intimate photos, which he threatened to send to her friends and family. He ended up sending two to two of his friends, and the victim’s brother.
When the police were at his address they found three cannabis pipes.
The offending was serious, and the intimidation was serious, Judge Smith said, and she told Kelly that it was easy to send digital stuff, but it needed to stop.
She sentenced him to 15 months’ supervision, and 160 hours’ community work. She also ordered an emotional harm payment to the victim of $500.
Category: Focus
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