Woman Sentenced for Revenge Porn and Harassment Campaign Against Ex-Partner
A 24-year-old woman has been sentenced after carrying out a sustained campaign of harassment against her former partner, which included sharing an intimate image with his mother in what the court described as an attempt to "maximise his humiliation." Eve Yeoman admitted to multiple offences, including stalking, criminal damage, and sharing an intimate image without consent, following the breakdown of their relationship.
Escalation of Harassment Tactics
Prosecutor Victoria Hill detailed how Yeoman's behaviour escalated after the relationship ended. She repeatedly contacted the victim, sometimes up to 25 times a day, sending abusive messages. In a particularly creative yet disturbing move, Yeoman used indirect methods to communicate, such as 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."
Yeoman's harassment extended to physical confrontations. She followed the victim in her car, tailgating and overtaking him in a manner that forced him to make an emergency stop. While on bail, she escalated further by throwing a bottle at his vehicle as he drove at speed, causing significant damage including a cracked windscreen, a broken wing mirror, and dents to the bonnet. The repair costs totalled £2,547.
Impact on the Victim and His Family
In a victim impact statement, the man described suffering "significant psychological effects" from the ordeal. He stated, "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."
The victim's mother was directly targeted when Yeoman sent her a sexually explicit image alongside the message: "This is what your son is like. I hope him and all his family rot in hell." The mother recounted her reaction, saying, "When I opened the message I was sickened to see she had taken a sexually 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."
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Defence lawyer Patricia Sheehan acknowledged that the offences were "shocking" but noted that Yeoman has autism and had been struggling with her mental health at the time. Sentencing her, District Judge Orla Austin said, "I accept you are a young woman with no previous convictions but you sent a sexual 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. Instead, she was given a 12-month community order, 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.
