Flaunting it ... mistress who harassed her lover’s wife with erotic novel about their affair
A misTress who sent her love rival an erotic novel based on her affair with the woman’s husband was spared jail yesterday.
in taunting letters, jackie Preuss, 43, described her desire to lure Debra michael’s husband, simon cragg, into a shower during her year-long campaign of harassment.
Prosecutor Angela halan described how she also sent miss michael and her friends and relatives ‘graphic’ images of herself wearing black stockings, then sent the lingerie to the family home.
When mr cragg reneged on a promise to leave his wife for Preuss, she wrote simon’s saga, a book named after him.
Preuss admitted harassment on the first day of her trial last month, when magistrates warned that her meticulously planned harassment was so serious that she faced jail.
in bizarre scenes yesterday, Preuss undressed in the street to change her outfit when she saw Press photographers waiting outside court.
she arrived in a pink blouse, baggy trousers, pumps and brown cardigan, which she used to cover her face when she realised she’d been recognised.
‘It takes two to tango’
Preuss then did her make- up and changed into a tight navy dress, high heels and red jacket, smiling for photographs before entering birmingham magistrates’ court, where she switched back into her drab outfit.
After the case, she changed back into her figure-hugging dress to leave court, having been given a 20-week jail term suspended for 18 months.
Preuss, who began her affair with mr cragg, 48, in 2013, sent extracts of the steamy novel to her love rival and other relatives, including mr cragg’s elderly mother, seeking ‘feedback’ on its explicit content, mrs halan said.
in a letter to miss michael, Preuss said: ‘hope your sex life is this exciting. my next challenge is to get him in the shower. so pleased to see he’s finally getting more adventurous and even better, we got caught by the police like a couple of criminals.
‘i think i left a pair of knickers in the car. They were one of my favourite pairs. Would you mind checking?’
in another letter Preuss falsely claimed to have given birth to mr cragg’s ‘little b******d’ daughter. she also changed her facebook picture to an image of her kissing mr cragg and posted on the social network: ‘Debbie and simon – the world’s happiest couple.’ The court heard the harassment began when Preuss – who met mr cragg through their shared work in the construction industry – turned up at his home in solihull, West midlands, at 11pm in june 2015.
she introduced herself as ‘simon’s girlfriend’ and handed a bundle of papers detailing the affair to miss michael.
miss michael, 55, reported Preuss to police in December 2015 and was told to send her a clear message stating that she did not wish to be contacted.
Two months later, when Preuss sent her a link to her novel using an alias, officers warned the defendant against contacting miss michael. but Preuss, from stourport- on-severn, Worcestershire, called her in may 2016, claiming to have had mr cragg’s baby.
citing mr cragg’s involvement, ian Vasey, defending, said: ‘All this started because this gentleman had an affair with her. it takes two to tango.’
Preuss was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, and banned from contacting miss michael. she must pay £775 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.
miss michael and mr cragg, who still live together, declined to comment.