Tinder stalker jailed

A ‘‘recidivist’’ offender has been jailed for 10 months after repeatedly harassing a man she met once on a Tinder date.

Karen Ilya Laing, 29, was sentenced on a charge of criminal harassment by the Dunedin District Court yesterday after sending 199 threatening text messages to a man between August 19 and 20.

The ‘‘compulsive and irrational’’ messages were sent from Laing after she was released from prison for similar offending, Judge Kevin Phillips said.

She had met her male victim only once, through the dating app Tinder. After their first meeting, he told her he wanted nothing more to do with her.

Despite being clear about his position, he was ‘‘deluged’’ by Laing. Her offending impacted his mental health and left him fearing for his safety.

Laing was a ‘‘recidivist’’ offender, appearing yesterday on her ninth conviction for criminal harassment, Judge Phillips said. He told Laing to pay attention as she stood in the dock and told her counsel, Rhona Daysh, that a fulltime jail sentence was appropriate.

Daysh said her client had been to prison four times since 2012 for similar offending and it led to no change. ‘‘Maybe they weren’t long enough,’’ the judge replied.

Laing had numerous convictions for threatening behaviour, trespass and violence against victims who ‘‘didn’t want anything to do with her’’.

The court heard Laing had Asperger syndrome and struggled to read social cues. She was assessed as being a high risk of reoffending. Judge Phillips jailed her for 10 months and ordered her not to operate any internet-enabled cellphones or computers for six months after her release.