But the specific contents of the communications sent by 31-year-old Charlotte May Cole were suppressed by Judge David Robinson at the Dunedin District Court today, at least until sentencing in May.
Cole pleaded guilty to the incitement charge – which carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment – earlier this month.
A copy of the summary of facts was to be released today but a court hearing was hastily arranged after defence counsel Deborah Henderson sought suppression of the messages.
She said their release would paint an inaccurate picture of what had occurred and potentially made her client “a target”.
Court documents revealed the victim had a history of mental-health issues which stretched into his earlier life before he had met Cole.
“The defendant claims she believed the victim threatened suicide as a way of making her stay in the relationship and the threats of suicide made the defendant fearful about trying to leave the relationship,” the summary said.
Cole suffered mental-health problems too, and had been “actively seeking help” to address them, the court heard.
The man died in hospital on November 20, 2019, after spending five days on life support.
A police investigation found 12 messages sent by Cole from August 9 to November 15 that supported the charge.
Judge Robinson was wary, though, of making the texts public.
“There’s a credible argument publication of the text messages sent by the defendant to the deceased could have some triggering effect for vulnerable parts of the community,” he said.
“Any decision on suppression or otherwise needs to be properly informed.”
He appointed a lawyer to liaise with a suitable expert who could provide guidance to the court on the issue.
Final suppression would be determined at sentencing.
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