Ex-boyfriend ‘got his mother to send explicit photos of his ex to the girl’s father the day before her birthday in revenge porn attack’
- Matthew Cooper-Collyer, 29, allegedly sent naked pictures of ex to his mother
- Court heard his mother then sent them to the ex-partner’s father by phone
- Elderly parent received the unwanted images the day before victim’s birthday
A son shared naked pictures of his ex with his own mother in a bid to get revenge on her when they split up, a court heard today.
Matthew Cooper-Collyer, 29, of Monkton Deverill, Wiltshire, is accused of threatening to disclose private sexual photos with the intent of causing distress.
His mother, Lynda Cooper, 41, has previously pleaded guilty to the same charge as well as a second offence of malicious communications after sending the images.
Helen Easterbrook, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court the defendant had recently split up with his girlfriend when his mother suggested in a Facebook conversation that he send images to her to which he agreed to do.
Ms Cooper had also posted: ‘Happy Birthday’ followed by the initials of the victim.
Ms Easterbrook said Ms Cooper had written that she would ‘give her drama like she loves’ and referring to the images she added: ‘Love them, perfect shots, you should have been a photographer’.
Ms Easterbrook said Cooper-Collyer had shared two intimate photos and a video with his mother who then sent them to the father of the defendant’s ex on the day before the victim’s birthday.
She said that the father ‘checked his mobile phone and found he had received two photos and a video which showed his daughter in sexually explicit poses’.
Helen Easterbrook, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court the defendant had recently split up with his girlfriend
Explaining the charge, Ms Easterbrook said: ‘The allegation is Mr Cooper-Collyer has shared these photos and video, they were of a private nature.
‘He did it without her permission and when he did it, he did it not by accident but intending that it would upset her, it would cause her distress.’
In police interview, Cooper-Collyer said his mother had access to his phone and had sent the images without his permission.
He said: ‘I left my phone for five minutes to go to the toilet, when I got my phone these pictures had been sent and I questioned her.
His mother suggested in a Facebook conversation that he send the images to her to which he agreed to do
‘I said ‘Why did you do this?’ She was annoyed, she said she (the victim) was going to ruin my life with things I hadn’t done, she (Ms Collyer) said ‘If she is going to do it to him, I am going to do it to her’.’
Giving evidence in court, Cooper-Collyer denied sending anyone private sexual photos or videos.
He said that in the Facebook conversation, he had posted that he had sent them but he told the court that he had not done so.
He said: ‘She has got bipolar disease and she can be very difficult to come to terms with and talk to if she is having a bad day, which she was, sometimes it’s easier to agree to a certain extent, to keep her quiet.’
He added: ‘I know the extent of what revenge porn does so I would never myself put someone through that.’
Giving evidence, Ms Cooper said that she took the images from her son’s phone without his permission and added: ‘He is innocent through this whole thing. He didn’t agree to any of the pictures.’
The trial continues.
