A woman who named two alleged rape victims in vicious Facebook posts has been fined £1,000.

Katie Ann Glover, of Anagh Coar Road, offered to pay the fine at a rate of £5 per week but was ordered by Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes to pay it in full immediately or face 60 days in custody due to the seriousness of the offence.

’I can’t imagine the hurt that you would have caused to them having this spread,’ Mrs Hughes said.

The court heard that the offence of disclosing the identity of a rape victim is currently only punishable by a fine, up to a maximum of £5,000, but a review of sexual offences legislation in the island may change this.

Glover, aged 34, wrote on Facebook naming two women who have made rape complaints against a man in a case which is ongoing.

Prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the court how Glover’s initial Facebook post on June 29 had not named the two women but following numerous comments added to the post by others, she then named the two women.

During a police interview she admitted writing the comments on her private Facebook account, on which she has 1,200 friends, and was unrepentant.

She said she didn’t care who saw the post and that her anger had been sparked after seeing a 3FM Facebook post naming the man, which would not let her comment.

She admitted she had removed the alleged victims’ anonymity.

Defence advocate Rebecca Cubbon said: ’She has known the man for some time and had been family-related through partners. They have a very trusting relationship.

’It was very hurtful for her to see those allegations being made about someone she held in such high regard.’

She said that her client said she had only become aware of the identity of one of the women due to the woman herself making a post on Facebook.

However, Ms Cubbon said that they had been unable to find that post.

’We are not suggesting the victim would have waived her right to anonymity but that is how she became aware of the information,’ said the advocate.

’She accepts she acted in haste and accepts she should have kept her anger to herself.

’She was visited by the police just under five hours after the posts had been made.

’She said she was going to remove the posts but police had to take her phone from her and that delayed it being removed. She wasn’t able to remove it until the next day when police returned her phone to her.

’She is sorry for the damage done.’

Ms Cubbon went on to say that Glover was currently paying a fine of £500 at a rate of £10 per week for a previous offence in June so could only offer £5 per week as she was currently receiving income support benefit.

But Deputy High Bailiff Mrs Hughes said: ’She didn’t sound sorry in the interview. She repeated it all.’

Mrs Hughes said that the offence was made even more serious by the allegations being in a small community and anyone identified would soon have their name circulated around the island.

’There is no real alternative to a financial penalty,’ she said. ’I am not giving you credit for any remorse because I don’t accept you have any remorse.’

Glover was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

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