Woman pleads guilty in UK’s first-ever “cyber-farting” case
A 25-year-old woman, named Rhiannon Evans, has pleaded guilty in the UK’s first-ever “cyber-farting” case.
Evans allegedly repeatedly sent videos of herself farting directly into her phone camera to her boyfriend’s ex-partner, Deborah Prytherch. Prytherch said in a statement: “I would like to feel safe in my home.”
This conduct, newly deemed “cyber-farting”, is one that a prosecutor described as “indecent or grossly offensive.”
Reportedly, Evans sent at least eight videos over the Christmas and New Year period of 2024. Allegedly, several of the clips showed her passing gas while smiling at the camera. The recipient said that these bizarre videos caused her distress and anxiety.
When the case was taken to court, Evans didn’t fare so well. Harriet Gorst, defending, said: “Some issues are going on between Miss Evans’ partner and his ex-partner with regard to child contact. She sent [the videos] without malicious intent.”
However, Evans was handed a 12-month community order and fined nearly £300. Additionally, she was given a two-year restraining order, which prevented any contact with the victim of her strange torture strategy.
This wasn’t everything: Evans was also ordered to attend 15 rehabilitation sessions and abstain from alcohol for 60 days, as the defence argued that the actions stemmed from personal tensions, as well as alcohol use.
However, the prosecutors overruled this argument, deeming her actions intentional. The cyber-farting was officially considered a form of harassment.
In 2019, passing wind was the subject of another court case, when a worker in Australia claimed his ex-supervisor repeatedly broke wind at him “five or six times a day”, which caused him “severe stress”.
The victim, Mr Hingst, shared with the court that he would refer to the perpetrator, Mr Short, as “Mr Stinky” and spray deodorant at him. Ultimately, the 56-year-old appealed against a court ruling that found he was not bullied.