Jealous woman avoids jail after using Alexa to scare ex’s new lover

A jealous ex girlfriend has been spared jail after hijacking her former partner’s Alexa and telling his new woman to get out of his house.

Londoner Phillipa Copleston-Warren, 46, also posted a naked image of her ex on Facebook after accessing an app that linked to various smart devices, including cameras in the victim’s home in Lincolnshire.

Copleston-Warren appeared in the dock, with her diabetic alert support dog, at Isleworth Crown Court Wednesday, October 6, where she was sentenced to three months in jail, suspended for a year.

Judge John Denniss also gave her a seven-year restraining order banning her from contacting her ex-boyfriend or going within 100m of his three homes.

Copleston-Warren had previously pleaded guilty to once count of ‘disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress’ on or before October 6, 2019.

The court heard how she used the app remotely to speak to the new girlfriend and tell her to get out. She then used the app to turn the bedside table light on and off before posting the nude image on social media with the caption: “Do I look fat??? My daily question”.

The victim had been unaware that the image had been posted until he received concerned messages from those known to him in the early hours of October 6, 2019.

Copleston-Warren sent the victim a message saying: “You might also want to remove your naked picture off Facebook.”

The victim’s new girlfriend, who had been with the victim at the time, received four messages on her Match.com account.

These contained derogatory comments about the victim and were sent from the victim’s own Match.com account. However, the victim did not send these and later realised he had been locked out of his Match.com account.

Christian Meikle, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Phillipa Copleston-Warren carried out a grave invasion of privacy. She left her victim feeling completely violated in his own home and online.

“Copleston-Warren did not take the image down when asked to do so and changed the password of the account to delay the victim gaining access.

“She also gloated about her actions on a WhatsApp group and threatened to send the nude image further afield to friends and business partners of the victim. The photo was eventually taken down by Facebook after it was reported as inappropriate.

“Posting naked images online in an act of revenge is illegal and offenders will be brought to justice. I hope this prosecution encourages others who have been affected by this type of conduct to come forward in the knowledge that they will be treated with respect, and that their reports will be taken seriously. The CPS is committed to tackling crimes of this nature.”