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A man and his mother have avoided jail after they sent explicit photos of a woman to her father. Matthew Cooper-Collyer, 23, and his mother, Lynda Collyer, 41, were found guilty last year of threatening to disclose private sexual photos of his ex-girlfriend with the intent of causing distress. Prosecutors said Cooper-Collyer shared intimate photos with his mother, who sent them on to his former partner’s father.

The mother and son were found guilty at Winchester Crown Court on November 28, according to Wiltshire Live, where Cooper pleaded guilty to a second offence of malicious communications.

They received a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and restraining orders banning them from contacting the victim or her parents.

Prosecutor Helen Easterbrook said the defendant had recently split from his girlfriend when Collyer suggested via Facebook that he should send her the explicit images.

Agreeing to send them, he included the message “Happy Birthday” with the victim’s initials.

Ms Eastbrook added that Collyer had said the images would “give (the victim) drama like she loves”.

She added that Collyer praised the “perfect shots”, adding: “You should have been a photographer.”

The prosecutor said Cooper-Collyer shared two intimate photos and a video with his mother.

She then sent them to his ex-partner’s father the day before her birthday.

The court heard from Cooper-Collyer that his mother had bipolar disorder and allegedly suggested sending the photos after she claimed the victim would “ruin” his life by levelling false accusations.

Representing Cooper-Collyer, Andrew Stone said his client, who was “dominated” by his mother, had trouble saying no to her.

He told the court that, knowing “the extent of what revenge porn does” he would never “put someone through that”.

Rhianna Fricker, representing Collyer, said she regrets her actions and carried them out as a “protective mother”.

She said the mum-of-three, who received a bipolar diagnosis in 2016, was “incredibly worried” that her son’s ex-girlfriend would make allegations against him.

Judge Gordon Bebb KC ultimately concluded that the two were motivated by “revenge” and meant to cause their victim distress.

He told them: “In the aftermath of that break-up there was acrimony.

“I have no doubt when you committed these offences you were both motivated by revenge and the wish to cause distress to the victim.”

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