'The psychological impact is substantial': Woman sent Facebook messages threatening to kill six members of staff at Leeds nursery

Stacey Gibson sent the frightening texts to her old colleagues when she was released from jail after serving a sentence for harassing them.

A judge who locked Gibson up for 30 months at Leeds Crown Court told her she had caused significant psychological harm to one of her victims who has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

David Hewitt, prosecuting, said Gibson, 30, was jailed for 18 months in March last year for harassing and threatening to kill to members of staff at the nursery in Guiseley.

Gibson targeted the victims after her contract working at the nursery was terminated.

During the offending she threatened to burn the premises down.Gibson was also made the subject of a restraining order banning her from contacting the victims or entering an exclusion zone around the nursery.

Mr Hewitt said Gibson moved to live in Liverpool after she was released from custody on licence in September.

She then returned to Leeds earlier this year and committed the offences on January 11.

Six of them received messages from the defendant. One message read: "Ha ha b**** I'm back. Did you seriously think you could get rid of me?"

A second message read: "I will get my revenge and you will die."

The victims contacted each other about the messages and one of them informed the police.

Meanwhile, Gibson informed her probation worker about what she had done, admitted that she had breached her licence conditions, and asked for the police to be contacted.

Gibson was recalled to prison and gave no comment when interviewed.

She pleaded guilty to six counts of making a threat to kill and seven of breach of a restraining order.

Victim impact statements were provided to the court.

Kara Frith, mitigating, said Gibson was sorry for what she had done, describing the offending as "a cry for help".

She said: "The offences happened on one date within a very short time frame of less than one hour.

"It was not a campaign like her previous offending.

"She asked for the police to be called.

"There was immediate regret and disclosure.

"There appears to be genuine insight.

"She had not taken her medication and it led to a distorted way of thinking."

Ms Frith added: "She felt isolated and abandoned, stopped taking her medication and there was an immediate decline in her mental health.

"Having spoken at length to the pre-sentence report author, she strongly suspects it was a cry for help to get more intervention when she was unable to express verbally what was going on in her head."

Referring to one of the victims as he sentenced Gibson, Recorder Abdul Iqbal QC said: "The psychological impact upon her, I am confident and satisfied, is substantial.

"She suffered anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder as a result of your behaviour towards her."