A 15-year-old girl pretended to have fallen in love with a man she met online before stabbing him in the head when he failed to buy her more expensive gifts.
How she duped the man
Chloe Coster, now 18, posed as a 19-year-old as she pursued the 35-year-old victim from 2020.
The teen, who the judge described as ‘calculated’ and ‘conniving’, used the alias Hope Morgan to dupe him – telling him that she would like to marry him – before attacking him with a knife at a hotel.
After being sentenced, she then posted on social media amid coverage of the case, writing: ‘Yes I did what I did and it is what it is but I defended myself and I don’t regret that. I got my punishment and I’m dealing with it.’
Prosecutor Alec Small told Swindon Crown Court on Monday that the relationship was ‘contingent on expensive gifts, items and clothing’.
Disparity in the relationship
He said that Coster saved the man into her phone under the name ‘Annoying C**t’, whilst he had saved her number as ‘My Hope’ – showing ‘disparity in the relationship’.
Before attacking her victim, Coster met him at a Travelodge hotel and collected £200 before running away. She later returned to collect a bracelet before again fleeing.
How it all started
On January 20, 2021, Coster attended a Holiday Inn in Swindon, Wiltshire, to meet him – after demanding jewellery, alcohol and sweets.
He paid her taxi fare and took her to his room, where she grabbed a packet of Maoam sweets and put them in her pocket.
Coster then started searching the room for other gifts, but when she was unable to find any the court heard she became angry and there was a struggle.
She went on to repeatedly stab the victim, causing injuries to his ear, arm and head.
The defendant then told the victim that if he reported it to the police, he would get into trouble as she was actually 15 years old.
More threats from her
In messages following the attack, she wrote: ‘You know I’m young, you’re an old man who tried to kidnap me’.
She added: ‘I’m young, you will get in trouble.’
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The victim went to hospital for treatment, but doctors informed the police.
Coster was subsequently arrested and questioned, where she lied about her involvement and claimed the victim was a stalker.
In a pre-sentence report, she told the probation officer: ‘If he wants to be weird to me, I will get out of it what I want.’
The pizza delivery driver, of Swindon, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent at a previous hearing.
Labelling the teen ‘calculated’ and ‘conniving’, Judge Jason Taylor KC sentenced her to a two-year community order with the requirement to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
She must also attend 25 rehabilitation activity days and pay a fine of £1,000.
