Come Dine With Me stalker spared prison
Terrifying messages to lover’s ex in online campaign
A WINNER of reality TV show Come Dine With Me has been spared jail after admitting stalking her then boyfriend’s former partner online.
Lucy Haughey, 36, trolled Sharon Low for almost a year, with threatening and abusive messages leaving her terrified and humiliated.
She was due to be sentenced earlier this month but the case was continued for the sheriff to ensure all abusive posts were removed from social media.
Yesterday at Glasgow Sheriff Court, sheriff Linda Ruxton handed her a community payback order with the condition she must do 250 hours unpaid work within eight months, and granted a two-year non-harassment order.
A condition was also put in place that Haughey, from Glasgow, cannot allow information about Miss Low to be posted on social media.
The sheriff said: ‘I am satisfied all postings concerning the complainer have now been removed from any social media sites.
‘I made it absolutely clear on the last occasion that I regard this as a very serious offence. You caused untold distress and misery to someone you did not even know.’ Haughey sent Facebook messages to friends of Miss Low, directed at her victim, telling her that she knew personal information about her.
The mother of three left voicemail messages, sent an obscene picture message and phoned Miss Low’s mother and ranted about her daughter.
She pleaded guilty to cyber stalking Miss Low between June 2015 and May 2016.
The episode of the Channel 4 show in which Haughey won the £1,000 prize money was shown in January this year.
Miss Low had never met Haughey but through the messages it was revealed Haughey knew who her victim was.
One message said social worker Miss Low was ‘sad, lonely, frustrated, no sex, no personality’.
The court was told that Miss Low was terrified and humiliated by the content of the messages.
Miss Low also received a text message which stated: ‘I know
‘Untold distress and misery’
your secrets, all of them, leave us alone or it’s all out there.’
She closed down her Facebook account but received more messages in a new account she thought was anonymous.
Paul McCue, defending, said Haughey says she was in an abusive relationship at the time with James Keegan, Miss Low’s ex.
He added: ‘It seems to me he manipulated Miss Haughey into making contact on his behalf.’
Mr McCue confirmed Haughey has closed her Facebook account.