In the Queenstown District Court yesterday, Judge Raoul Neave sentenced the 53-year-old to 300 hours' community work, with leave to convert the hours to training, and two years' intensive supervision with special conditions of assessment, counselling and treatment, with a referral by a GP to mental health specialists.
She was also ordered to pay $500 emotional harm reparation, although "no amount of money is going to undo the damage".
In ordering final suppression, Judge Neave said the woman had done her "level best" to wreck someone else's daughter's life but "I fail to see why that incident should come back to haunt your own daughter as well".
"It was because of her that you did this.
"I can't see the publication of your name will do anything other than have an adverse effect on her life. Whilst there might be some public interest in the matter, there's no real risk to the public."
In May, the defendant had applied to St Hilda's Collegiate School and Columba College for her daughter to be accepted as a pupil in 2012.
The mother was aware another Queenstown teenager was applying for both schools and in an effort to have her daughter accepted ahead of the other pupil, she made the fictitious calls.
Judge Neave said it was "scandalous" behaviour.
"It was a deliberate attempt to [get your daughter preferential entry].
"The effects ... have been utterly devastating for the complainant.
"The effects on her will be long-lasting. I can only pray they won't be permanent."
The woman admitted in October using a telecommunication device to knowingly give a fictitious message - namely that she was Ann Marie Thompson, a sexual health worker, and the other girl had a sexually transmitted disease, was in a lesbian relationship with another girl and wanted her to make an appointment with the clinic; and in a separate charge the child needed support with treatment, both on August 2.
In the first call, to St Hilda's, the woman claimed to be "Ann Marie Thompson", a sexual health worker, based in the Oxford Clinic in Invercargill, and stated one of the boarders needed support with treatment.
She then said she'd made a mistake and was calling in relation to a prospective pupil, before naming the girl.
In a second phone call to Columba College the woman said the prospective pupil "had a sexually transmitted disease and that she was in a lesbian relationship with another girl".
Defence counsel Phena Byrne said the phonecalls were made because she "believed, based on a comment made by somebody else" the allegations were true.
"She believed she had to bring her beliefs to someone's attention.
"The reason being that she has been told if something is happening, or you believe something is happening, you bring it to the attention of someone ... such as a teacher."
Ms Byrne read an apology from the defendant, which had been sent to the schools and the complainant.
"I know you find this hard to believe, but I truly thought I was helping when I made those phone calls," the apology said.
"I now realise I had my wires crossed as I was not well mentally.
"I am profoundly sorry ... at the end of the day what I did was wrong and for that I'm truly sorry."
The victim attended yesterday's sentencing and was visibly upset throughout the sentencing, at times sobbing.
Judge Neave said the defendant suffered from "very serious mental health issues" and she had, on more than one occasion "become involved in some bizarre behaviour".
"If not quite at the level we have to start protecting the public from you, we're getting close.
"You are going to have to receive some assistance and some treatment."
He said it was "quite extraordinary" a pre-sentence report had found the woman to be at low risk of reoffending and low risk of harm to others.
"That's just wrong.
"There is a very real danger you will fall between the cracks of mental health and public services. Organisations need to work together in your case."
The woman was given credit for her guilty plea and for doing "what little you can" to acknowledge the wrong-doing and apologise.
