The 35-year-old hotel receptionist who sent his new girlfriend photos of her ex-boyfriend's genitals when she learned they were together during a custody battle is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to harassment

A hotel receptionist who sent explicit images of her ex-boyfriend's genitals to his new girlfriend after discovering they were together during a bitter custody battle has been spared jail.

Samantha Webster, 35, bombarded Catherine Harrison with 200 messages after finding out that James McKinnell was seeing her in legal documents during a family court hearing about her daughter.

During the online attack, Webster claimed she wanted to “warn” Ms Harrison about Mr McKinnell's “behavior and lies” and even threatened to have his legs “broken in half”.

The unwanted contact is said to have caused “serious concerns” for Ms Harrison, who moved to another city. In a statement, the victim said: “I received 200 Facebook messages from Samantha Webster.”

“After the first five messages, I told her to stop contacting me, but she completely ignored me and continued sending messages. Then she started calling me. She didn't want to leave me alone and continued.

Samantha Webster (pictured), 35, bombarded Catherine Harrison with 200 messages after finding out James McKinnell was dating her. Webster (pictured) claimed she wanted to “warn” Miss Harrison about Mr McKinnell's “behaviour and lies” and even threatened to take his legs away 'broken in half.'

“I advised her to stop, but she continued to threaten that she would send someone to break James' legs.”

When questioned, mother-of-two Webster, of Poulton-with-Fearnhead, Warrington, Cheshire, said she had not known Mr McKinnell was in a new relationship and had wanted to stop Ms Harrison from going out with him.

She claimed she only sent five or six messages, but each of them were screenshots of WhatsApp conversations with multiple conversations between her and Mr McKinnell, sent to prove she was in a relationship with him. She said she did not intentionally send the explicit images included in the exchange.

At Warrington Magistrates' Court, Webster pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison and given a suspended sentence of 12 months with a requirement to complete 25 days of rehabilitation.

The court heard the couple, who shared a daughter during a five-year relationship, split amid allegations that Mr McKinnell was “controlling”.

The couple won a non-molestation order against each other in family court over custody of the little girl – but just seven days later Webster posted a message online about Mr McKinnell saying: “Someone was ready to cut his legs in half break.”

Robert Earl, prosecuting, said Webster's messaging attack between August 11 and October 25 was “clearly intended to cause trouble”. Despite being told to stop after the first five messages, the tireless Webster kept going and sent 195 more.

The prosecutor added that the bombings and threats against Ms Harrison's new partner had had a “massive impact” on the relationship and her personal life, with both suffering “significant distress and embarrassment” as a result of the explicit image.

“She is afraid to go out,” Mr Earl told the court. “She doesn't feel safe in her own house.” She talks about a move that she says is unacceptable.

Webster pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison and a suspended sentence of 12 months

“The messages were offensive and full of threats, including sexual images, and the behavior was clearly aimed at maximizing distress. “The distress was very serious.

“Catherine Harrison is so desperate that she has moved to another city. “The only connection between the victim and the defendant is that the victim is dating the defendant’s ex-partner and that appears to be the reason why she is being targeted in this way.”

The court heard Webster was given a community order in May for a public order offense involving a neighbour. In October she was given a suspended prison sentence for breaching the harassment restraining order against Mr McKinnell.

A probation officer said: “From what I believe, Ms Webster was controlled by Mr McKinnell in her relationship and she still feels she has a degree of control.” Obviously, as with any domestic incident, there is a blame game at times only comes to light after the court hearing.”

Mitigation defense attorney Julian Touchener-Ellis said When his client found out her ex was in a new relationship with Ms Harrison, she was “distraught”.

“She didn't know anything about it and thought it would be better to tell the victim here.” “She went about it the wrong way, but it wasn't 200 messages,” the lawyer told the court.

Webster's behavior was deemed “unacceptable” by a deputy district judge

“She forwarded long WhatsApp messages to prove there was an existing relationship.” She didn't think about what might be on them. She sent the sexual images to the victim, but that was not her intention. It was intended to prove that the relationship existed. But there was no excuse for the way it happened.

“The behavior was clearly a shock to the victim, but there was no intention to harm her in any way.” Her intention appears to be to warn her about Mr McKinnell's behavior and his lies. She wasn't in the best of moods.'

Webster Deputy District Judge Arlegh Davies told her: “Your behavior was unacceptable, even if you were still in a relationship, and not all parties agree with it. “You can't behave like that.”

As well as being given a suspended sentence, Webster was also given a restraining order banning her from contact with Ms Harrison and Mr McKinnell for two years and ordered to pay £274 in costs and victim surcharge.