Internet revenge of woman jilted by girlfriend

Adrienne Poynter made Karina Wilson’s life “a nightmare” after being told that their four years together were over.

Rather than walking away from the relationship, the unemployed 38-year-old, of Briery Walk, Greasbrough, sent a series of abusive text messages before hacking into Ms Wilson’s bank account and setting up a series of ten direct debits.

The spurned lover, who was handed a suspended jail term this week, even hijacked her former partner’s e-mail account and her profile on the Facebook social networking website, and set about sabotaging Ms Wilson’s relationships with friends and family.

Last September, Poynter’s actions came to a head when she assaulted Ms Wilson outside a nightclub.

This incident was dealt with at Rotherham Magistrates’ Court, in March, when Poynter was handed a two-year conditional discharge after admitting common assault.

She was back in court on Wednesday to answer harassment charges.

Mr Giles Sciolti, prosecuting, revealed that £95.40 was debited from Ms Wilson’s bank account after Poynter set up a series of direct debits to the video rental firm Love Film and several charities, including the RSPCA, NSPCC and World Wildlife Fund, between November 2009 and January 2010.

He also read out offensive and threatening text messages sent by Poynter to Ms Wilson.

Mr David Raybould, mitigating for Poynter, who had pleaded guilty to charges of harassment at an earlier hearing, said that his client had committed all her offences while under the influence of drink.

He said: “She now has her drinking under control. The times when she would buy 24 cans of beer and drink them with friends are over. Ms Poynter no longer binge-drinks, she only drinks socially and in moderation.”

Mr Raybould also informed the District Judge for Rotherham, Mr John Foster, that Poynter had been to her GP and attended a Wellbeing Clinic in an attempt to address both her drinking and behavioural issues.

Addressing Poynter, Mr John Foster said: “Ms Poynter, it would be a remarkable understatement to say that your behaviour following the breakdown of this relationship was wholly unacceptable.

“You assaulted this woman, you sent her very abusive text messages, you set up direct debits or standing orders and generally interfered with her life.

“Behaviour of this sort in the context of any relationship is wholly unacceptable.

“

You seem to be a young woman who is given to violence be it by actions or words.

“This is certainly an offence which is sufficient to command a custodial sentence albeit, in this case, a suspended one.”

Mr Foster issued Poynter with a 14-week suspended jail sentence and a restraining order and told to pay £250 compensation costs to Ms Wilson.

She was also ordered to pay £85 costs and observe a 12 month supervision order with the probation service.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Wilson said that she hoped the action would bring an end to a “very stressful ten months” since their ill-fated break-up.

“She has made my life a nightmare and caused a lot of trouble for me but hopefully it is all behind me now,” Ms Wilson said.

“This has been a really upsetting time for me because, after four years together, I saw a side to Adey that I never knew existed.”