Woman who waged hate campaign escapes jail

A woman from St Albans who sent a dead mouse “belly up” in a jiffy bag to her ex-partner’s girlfriend has narrowly escaped going to prison. Poppy Carter, 29, sent the rodent’s remains in the post to Carly Bradbury as part of a sinister hate campaign. It was just one incident as she targeted Miss Bradbury over a seven month period in 2016. She sent Carly anonymous cards depicting a cat closely watching a goldfish in a goldfish bowl. Then she poured white paint over a van Carly used for her work with a cat protection charity while it was parked outside the home in Watford she shared with Carter’s ex, Mr Alex Roberts. A few days later she attacked the same vehicle with a corrosive substance causing the paintwork to blister. On Friday (Aug 18) Carter appeared at St Albans Crown Court to be sentenced after a jury had found her guilty at the end of a trial in July of stalking Carly Passing sentence Recorder Leslie Cuthbert told Carter her actions had been “despicable, evil and vindictive.” He said she had displayed no remorse during her trial for what she did to Carly. “This conduct was intended to maximise her distress,” he told her. Carter was told that only a custodial sentence was justified for what she’d done, but having regard to all the circumstances Recorder Cuthbert said he could suspend it. He sentenced Carter of Upper Lattimore Road to two years imprisonment which was suspended for two years. In addition he made her the subject of a home curfew for the next six months when she will have to be indoors between the hours of 10pm and 6am. She was also told she would have to complete a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement and carry out 84 hours of unpaid work as well as pay £500 towards the prosecution costs. Recorder Cuthbert also made a restraining order which forbids Carter from making any contact with Carly. He said it was his profound hope that Carter would mature and get over her relationship with her ex which he said had ended some time ago. At one point during her hate campaign she employed a private investigator to find out where her ex-boyfriend Mr Roberts and moved to with Carly During the trial the jury of eight woman and four men heard Carter and Mr Roberts had been in a relationship, but by the end of 2013 it had turned sour and they split up In June of 2014 Mr Roberts started dating Carly Bradbury and the court was told that between then and the start of 2016 Carter was warned by police concerning claims that she’d harassed the other woman. The court was told Carter’s own mother was even arrested in connection with harassing Miss Bradbury and made the subject of a restraining order. The charge of stalking that Carter faced at her trial in July concerned a period between January and September last year when she had committed a number of acts aimed at causing Carly distress. Prosecutor Daniel Wright told the jury: “She persuaded a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of Carly and caused her alarm and distress.” He said Carter started sending anonymous letters and cards to Carly at the beginning of January 2016 while she was waiting to move into a home she had bought with Mr Roberts. The first card depicted a cat watching goldfish in a goldfish bowl with the message “To Carly. Happy New Year. See you soon x” The unwanted an anonymous communications continued and in July of last year Carter twice attacked a van used by Miss Bradbury for her work with a cat protection charity, daubing it with paint and a corrosive substance which caused paintwork to blister. The following month the dead mouse arrived “belly up” in a Jiffy bag at the home in Watford Miss Bradbury shared with Mr Roberts. The prosecutor said it had been an “extremely distressing and frightening thing to find” Mr Roberts told the jury the incidents left Carly “in bits” and she was prescribed anti-depressants.