Hotel executive Lisa Patricia Stuart Costello convicted of computer hacking

A high-flying Gold Coast hotel executive has been convicted of hacking the social media account of her lover’s ex. Read why she did it.

Hotel executive Lisa Patricia Stuart Costello pleads guilty to computer hacking.

A Gold Coast-based international hotel executive has been convicted of computer hacking after using her work email to unlawfully access another woman’s social media account.

Crowne Plaza Fiji’s director of sales and marketing, Lisa Patricia Stuart Costello, pleaded guilty in Coolangatta Magistrate Court on Monday to using a restricted computer without consent between November 2023 and late 2024.

The court was told the 47-year-old, who was previously employed in an executive role with Raffe Hotels and Resorts, added one of the company’s email addresses to the login details of a Facebook account belonging to her partner’s ex. She accessed the woman’s account multiple times without her knowledge or consent.

“She (victim) started to receive notifications to her phone of a post on a Gold Coast community page,” Queensland Police Service prosecutor Sergeant Greg McKenzie said.

“The post was made using her account. The nature of the post was regarding (a family member). No names were mentioned in the post and due to its hosting on the community page, the post is made anonymously to the wider audience.”

Sergeant McKenzie said the woman conducted a search of log-in data on her Facebook account which showed it had been accessed on two phones, a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. A login had also been recorded from a Windows PC.

“The victim does not own any of those devices. The account had been accessed on the 4th of November 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand, and 15th of October 2024 in Fiji,” Sergeant McKenzie said.

“A unique email address was created to allow access to the victim’s Facebook account and added to the account. The address was [e-mail]”

Costello’s lawyer Alan Moore (pictured) said his client was remorseful for the offending. Picture: SGCL.

Costello, who was employed as Group Sales Manager at Raffe Hotels, was nominated by the victim as a suspect in the case and police attended her Mermaid Waters address in late November, according to the prosecution. 

“The defendant (Costello) stated she had a Samsung Galaxy S24 mobile phone, that she had been in Auckland and Fiji on the dates nominated,” Sergeant McKenzie told the court.

“Within the defendant’s mobile phone device police located location data. Within the defendant’s own Facebook account was a login on the 24th of October 2024.

“The IP address listed was the same indicated previously. So it was the same IP that was used to log into the victim’s Facebook account.

“The defendant has also conducted a recent search history of a Google search on 3rd November 2024, which included ‘is it illegal to go to someone else’s Facebook Australia’ and ‘Can you trace a hacker into your social media’.”

Costello’s lawyer Alan Moore said his client’s offending was sparked by “ongoing provocation” from the victim over a family dispute, but denied the hacking was an act of retribution when questioned further by Magistrate Nerida Wilson.

“Her offending is an aberration outside of her general character both as an individual and a mother,” Mr Moore said.

“She’s expressed tremendous remorse for her offending behaviour.”

Magistrate Wilson interjected: “Where has she done that?”

Costello is employed as director of sales for Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa. Picture: Supplied.

“That’s just through basically my conversations and my instructions (from Costello),” Mr Moore responded.
“A criminal conviction, your honour, would have serious effects on her livelihood. My ultimate submission is that it’s on that lower end of seriousness on the spectrum. There was no real material detriment.”

Magistrate Wilson disagreed and labelled Costello’s action “very serious” offending.

“It is an offence as you’ve found, to hack into someone’s – in this case – Facebook account,” Magistrate Wilson said.

“It seems it is a form of retribution. This is completely the wrong way to go about your affairs – you hold a very significant position in your company.”

Magistrate Wilson accepted that there were factors in Costello’s favour including her early plea of guilty as a sign of her remorse, her absence of criminal history, and a number of character references tendered to the court which spoke of her personal and professional achievements.

Costello was fined $1000 and no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Hotel executive Lisa Patricia Stuart Costello convicted of computer hacking