More jail time for woman who harassed victim with letters

Kerryn Mitchell was sentenced on 61 charges after dozens of letters were intercepted but five made it past prison authorities to the victim's address. File photo

A female inmate who obsessively harassed a man with letters, one including a sinister "stick figure", has been sentenced to more jail time.

The letters were the latest chapter in "years of relentless offending", Judge Jan Kelly told Wellington District Court today.

Kerryn Mitchell, 47, was sentenced on 61 charges after dozens of letters were intercepted but five made it past prison authorities to the victim's address.

Judge Kelly today said one letter with an "attached stick figure diagram" was so pernicious, Mitchell was charged with an attempted threat to kill the man.

Mitchell faced 55 charges of attempting to breach a protection order, five actual breaches, and the attempted death threat.

The judge urged Mitchell to recognise "the severe effect" of her offending on the victim, who has name suppression.

The judge said there were no mitigating factors to her latest round of offending.

But the court heard Mitchell suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as alcohol and gambling addictions.

She was sentenced this afternoon to 27 months' jail.

Judge Kelly thanked Mitchell, who left without commotion, but the Herald was told Mitchell earlier made a courtroom outburst in which she accused her victim of having "no balls".

According to court documents, Mitchell was found guilty on November 3 on all 61 charges.

The protection order breaches occurred between December 7, 2013, and March 31 last year.

Mitchell's current address was listed as the women's prison in Wiri, South Auckland.

Well known to the courts, Mitchell was the subject of a protection order made in 2008, which extended to her victim's partner.

"Take the protection order off me and we'll live together happily ever after," she once told the man in a voicemail message.

Mitchell also visited his home about 11.30 one night, armed with a tyre iron, smashing most of the accessible windows in his house.

For that, she was sentenced to 25 months' jail. She appealed against that sentence but the Supreme Court rejected her appeal last May.