Jacqueline Margaret Walter, 55, appeared in the Invercargill District Court last month and received diversion on a charge of criminal harassment, meaning no conviction was entered.
Walter ran for Invercargill Mayor in 2022, but received only 110 votes.
In an online profile page for candidates she campaigned on "Prudent council behaviour. Valuing everybody", alongside "No to co-governance".
The charge stemmed from events involving then-co-ordinator of Radio Southland, Archie Bailey.
The two had known each other as children, and Mx Bailey even sang at Walter’s wedding.
The charge covered the time from when a harassment notice was issued in November, to the time of Walter’s arrest five months later, but the victim said issues arose almost a year earlier.
Walter contacted them demanding her own radio show to discuss anti-mandate material and also accuse people of sexual abuse in Southland churches.
When they turned her down, she "went bonkers".
"Little did I know that the sweet little lady, who had always smiled at me and barely said a word, would turn into this," Mx Bailey said.
They said she handed out flyers about them, accused them of having affairs and threatened their family.
"She’s spent weeks demanding that I get her her radio show or she’ll kill herself," they said.
"Never before in my life have I got near somebody who literally runs for mayor to harass you."
Mx Bailey was running for the Bluff Community Board and their colleague was running for mayor at the same time as Walter.
In the blog titled "All Us Moderates", Walter wrote an open letter to the police regarding the matter on November 16.
It read: "I have never harassed anybody in my life. In fact, you know that I myself suffered dreadfully from beyond harassment. . . and took it like a trooper."
She claimed she was minding her own business while people like Bailey "skulk around finding ways to continue harassing me".
"Dear Police, if Bailey darkens your doorstep again to complain about me being an ordinary Kiwi, please take her in," the blog said.
Walter dismissed the issue around the radio show as "so silly" and claimed to be a victim of "cancel culture".
"I merely asked for a pre-recording session at the radio for a simple community minded programme," she said.
The police diversion scheme allows mostly first-time offenders to avoid conviction for predominantly lower-level offences.
For diversion to be completed, the defendant must accept guilt and abide by agreed conditions.
A defendant might have to write apology letters to their victim, complete community work or pay emotional harm reparation.
But Walter said she did not have to do anything to rectify the situation for diversion to be completed.
"Police appealed for my help, the wimps."
Walter said police had asked her to refrain from talking to or about staff at Radio Southland.
"I would have declined diversion if it meant being treated like I was guilty," Walter said.
Despite their lenient stance, she labelled the police and judiciary as "corrupt".
Mx Bailey said they were frustrated by the diversion process and wanted to see Walter get support or treatment.
"This wasn’t just about me. She’s hurt so many people and now I’m having to sit back watching her hurt more people," they said.
Since the court hearing, Walter has continued to tweet accusations of people abusing her.
"It’s been an awful lot of effort and an awful lot of pain to essentially hit the reset button," they said.
Despite Walter claiming she had suffered harassment from many people, no charges had been laid against them.
