Amazon Alexa: Woman used smart speaker to tell ex's lover to go

Copleston-Warren used an Alexa app to access her ex-boyfriend's devices

A woman accessed her ex-boyfriend's smart speaker from her home 100 miles away to tell his new girlfriend to leave, a court has heard.

Phillipa Copleston-Warren accessed an Alexa app linked to devices, including cameras, lights and his Amazon Echo speaker at his home in Lincolnshire.

She also admitted at Isleworth Crown Court posting a naked photo of her ex-boyfriend on Facebook.

The 46-year-old from London will be sentenced on 6 October.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said accessing her ex-partner's devices allowed her to see the victim's new girlfriend in the house she had previously stayed at.

She used the app remotely to speak to her and tell her to get out.

She then used it to turn the bedside table light on and off before posting the nude image on social media, captioned: "Do I look fat??? My daily question".

• More stories from Lincolnshire

Her ex-partner did not realise the image had been posted until he received messages from concerned friends in the early hours of 6 October 2019.

Copleston-Warren then sent the victim a message saying: "You might also want to remove your naked picture off Facebook."

She pleaded guilty on Tuesday to disclosing private sexual images with intent to cause distress.

'Grave invasion of privacy'

The CPS said the victim's new girlfriend also received four derogatory messages on her Match.com account, sent from the account of the victim.

Christian Meikle from the CPS said: "Phillipa Copleston-Warren carried out a grave invasion of privacy. She left her victim feeling completely violated in his own home and online.

"Copleston-Warren did not take the image down when asked to do so and changed the password of the account to delay the victim gaining access."

She also gloated about her actions on a WhatsApp group and threatened to send the nude image further afield to friends and business partners of the victim.

The image was eventually taken down by Facebook after it was reported as inappropriate.

Mr Meikle added that posting naked images online as revenge was illegal, and he hoped the prosecution would encourage others affected to come forward.