FRISKY MUM’S 3-YEAR PROWL
TEACHER BOMBARDED WITH RAUNCHY PICTURES
A MARRIED mother-of-two who stalked a Townsville deputy principal posed in pictures as a playboy bunny and nurse in a desperate effort to persuade her victim to start a relationship with her.
Rebecca Anne Bassett stalked Michael John Statham over three years, sending the Townsville community learning centre deputy principal handwritten notes, emails and sexually explicit photos.
Magistrate Viviana Keegan said Bassett’s unrelenting advances had caused serious stress and misery to her victim.
The woman’s husband of 16 years supported her as she pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful stalking when she fronted Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday.
Bassett started her contact with Mr Statham on February 22, 2016, with a handwritten letter telling the victim she was in love with him.
On March 29, 2018, Bassett handed the victim a plastic sleeve with small chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallows and pictures of her wearing bunny ears.
On April 30, 2018, the defendant gave the victim an envelope containing four pictures with one stating “please lift up” to reveal a naked photograph of herself.
Bassett gave the victim an envelope with photographs of herself dressed as a nurse this year on January 29.
From January 30 to February 4 this year, Bassett sent 17 sexual emails to Mr Statham, which were tendered to the court by police prosecutor Sergeant Amanda Lawson as evidence.
On February 6, Bassett made contact with Mr Statham’s teenage son via Facebook in an attempt to “check in” on Mr Statham.
On February 26 this year, Bassett sent an abusive email to the victim, which was the catalyst for Mr Statham to make a formal police complaint.
A search warrant was issued on April 28, which uncovered the nurse outfit from the photograph sent to the victim and other sexually explicit photographs on her phone.
The court heard the mother of two daughters harassed the victim on more than 15 occasions, telling the police as she was arrested that “she was in love and needed to do it”.
Ms Keegan condemned Bassett’s actions and highlighted the intangible effects on her victim.
“The stalking was to put as much stress on the victim and affected his mental wellbeing,” she said.
“It is a misery caused to a victim and that misery shouldn’t be trivialised.”
Bassett had no criminal history and had known the victim for eight years.
Ms Keegan acknowledged Bassett was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2007 but saw no reason to suspect a connection between her offending and the diagnosis.
The magistrate sentenced Bassett to a three-month wholly suspended jail term and a five-year restraining order restricting the defendant from approaching the victim within 25m.