Consumed by the fury of a broken relationship, a woman unleashed digital revenge leaking her former partner and his family’s private information online.

Now Jaimee-Lee Fawcett, 35, has appeared for sentencing in the Whangārei District Court on two charges of causing harm by posting digital communications.

In March, Fawcett gained access to her ex-partner’s sim card, which held all his personal details.

She changed his passwords, hijacked his social media, and demanded $5000 from his family, warning she would leak their information online if they refused.

They did refuse and Fawcett followed through by posting the victim’s home address and phone number on Facebook.

Fawcett then created a profile on an online dating platform using her ex-partner’s mother’s photo and information.

As a result, her ex lost all access to his online accounts and became concerned about his family’s safety.

Fawcett pleaded guilty to the charges in September and has since reconciled with her partner, who was present at sentencing.

Judge Taryn Bayley said despite their reconciliation, her poor behaviour was unacceptable.

“It’s fortunate you weren’t charged with blackmail, given the threat that you made and the money you demanded,” Judge Bayley said.

Judge Bayley noted Fawcett had made comments to a pre-sentence report writer that she regretted her actions but also placed blame on the victims.

“Your behaviour was unacceptable. It would have been very distressing for this certain victim with her details and her photograph on a dating site,” Judge Bayley said.

“The factors that led to this happening was your inability to manage relationships in an appropriate way, mental health issues and you also have a sense of entitlement where you may believe your behaviour on this occasion was acceptable.”

Judge Bayley sentenced Fawcett to 12 months’ supervision with a number of courses to complete.

“No matter how difficult your personal circumstances are, that doesn’t give you a licence to behave in causing harm to others,” the judge said.

“You need to learn to moderate your behaviour and manage any conflicts in your family relationships in a more appropriate way.”

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.