A British woman was convicted in court of using an Amazon Echo device to harass his ex’s new partner. Phillippa Copleston-Warren, 46, from London, had access to the device in her ex’s home some 100 miles away in Lincolnshire and hacked Alexa to repeatedly insult the new woman he’s dating, BBC News reports. She also posted a nude photo of her ex-boyfriend online.
- She only had access to the device because of her dog. Copleston-Warren’s dog was staying at her ex’s place and was under his care after it got medical treatment in October 2019. In order to check on the animal, she was given joint access to the CCTV cameras at the property as well as the Alexa system.
- Coplestone-Warren wanted to harass her ex’s new girlfriend. She used Alexa to say “get the whore out” when the woman entered his bedroom, Isleworth Crown Court heard during the trial. She also sent other threatening voice messages and switched the bedside light on and off repeatedly and sent other threats via WhatsApp.
- She directed plenty of harassment towards her ex, as well. Coplestone-Warren locked her ex out of his Facebook and Match.com accounts and sent out nasty messages from his accounts to his new girlfriend. She then posted a nude photo of her ex online with the caption: “Do I look fat?”
- Coplestone-Warren at least pleaded guilty to what she’d done. At sentencing this week, she admitted harassing her ex’s new girlfriend after previously having admitted disclosing private sexual images with intent to cause distress. “Judge John Denniss said: “I have no doubt that at the time of the offense you were concerned about your dog and the operation it had just had. But I am not convinced at all that that was the primary or the only factor that was causing you personal distress. There was an element which was nasty, of jealousy, of revenge, and irrational behavior which led to fury-like behavior in you. I use the word because it reminds me of the aphorism, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,’ and here there are elements of that fury.”
Coplestone-Warren was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for a year. She’s also subject to a seven-year restraining order.
