Rebecca Cooper, a 32-year-old mother of two from Handsworth, has been jailed for one year and eight months at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting attempting to cause a child to watch images of sexual activity, making threats to kill, and possessing a knife in public.
Cooper, of Church Hill Road, Handsworth, appeared before Judge Simon Drew KC on Wednesday, September 2, after a series of incidents spanning from December 2023 to April 2024. The court heard she had racked up 44 previous convictions for 98 offences, including threats to kill and possessing knives.
Live stream targeting children
In December 2023, Cooper uploaded a number of posts to Facebook using an alias, expressing that she liked children. The posts culminated in a live stream where she could be seen in the reflection of a television touching herself sexually.
Sam Leach, prosecuting, told the court Cooper spoke about wanting underage teenagers to be watching. At one point she believed a boy was viewing the video and said: "I have a real child on my live this is great."
In other posts, Cooper said she was going to the German Market in Birmingham to 'perv' on children and that she was 'proud to be a nonce'.
Knife incident and death threat
In a more recent incident, Cooper was arrested for 'waving a knife around' near Perry Barr post office on March 31, and was later caught with four blades in total. Then on April 17, she threatened to kill a doctor at a school over an intercom system, saying: "You need to take this seriously I have guns and knives you are going to die."
Cooper later told police: "I'm very sorry. I've been kicked out of my accommodation I just wanted someone to help me. I had no intent to hurt anyone except to hurt people with what I said."
Mental health background and alcohol addiction
Holly Kilbey, defending, confirmed Cooper had complex and ongoing needs in relation to her mental health, having been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome as a child. She said: "It has presented itself within Ms Cooper as what can only be described as an extensive need for attention. That is the underlying premise behind her committing all of these offences. Clearly some were escalatory in nature. They were exacerbated by her voluntary decision to consume alcohol."
The barrister added Cooper had drunk a bottle of vodka a day, but said she was now starting to tackle her addiction since her remand into custody in April. She is also considering a two-year intensive therapy programme to address her behaviour.
Judge's sentencing remarks
Judge Simon Drew KC told Cooper sentencing her was a 'difficult exercise'. He said: "You have a long history of mental health issues but you also are clearly aware of that and aware of many of your difficulties. I viewed one of the videos you uploaded on to YouTube in which you celebrated the fact you could do what you like and other people would simply let you do it because of your mental health history. You have got a great deal more self awareness than some people are prepared to give you credit for."
The judge continued: "I accept your difficulty is you struggle in the community and you look for attention from other people. I also take this view; you knew what you were doing was wrong."
Judge Drew said he had a duty to protect the public from Cooper, but that she had achieved her aim in gaining attention and being sent to prison because she found it easier. "Probation have considered whether they can offer you any support and they can't," he said. "At the moment there really is no choice left to me but to impose a custodial sentence of some length."
Cooper was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting her use of electronic devices.
