Concrete firm boss stalked wife and new partner with GPS trackers, court told

The boss of a concrete firm has pleaded guilty to stalking his wife and her new partner by attaching GPS trackers to their cars and hiring private investigators to take photographs of them.

Steven Brown, of Kingswood, Surrey, admitted the offence at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court against his wife, Nichola, and fireman Mark Compton, which lasted for a three-month period from November 2015.

Marianna Lo Conte, prosecuting, told the court that the 51-year-old had placed two GPS trackers on his wife's car and another on Mr Compton's vehicle. She said he also employed two private investigators to follow and take photographs of them.

Ms Lo Conte said: "The private investigators took photographs of the two together and the defendant handed these pictures to Mrs Brown."

She added: "Numerous calls and text messages were made by the defendant to both complainants and in addition to that to Mr Compton's ex-partner as well."

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mrs Brown said she had become "paranoid, low and depressed" following her husband's actions.

She said: "It's been awful for the whole family, it's worried my parents and it has caused me to change as a person.

"I am always checking to see if I am being followed. I feel low and paranoid, overall I have been depressed and having panic attacks. At the time I felt very vulnerable."

She said her fear had prompted her to put up curtains throughout the house in addition to existing blinds because she was "worried about being watched".

She added: "I have not felt I could socialise as I would before. Before this happened I was a confident person and this has been taken away from me."

Mr Compton said in his statement: "It has left me feeling paranoid and fearful of what could happen to me. I feel I am the focus that Steve wants to destroy.

"I feel I have become a target and I am genuinely fearful of what he could do to me."

Miss Lo Conte said a restraining order would be requested when Brown is sentenced next month.

Christine Budd, the chairwoman of the magistrates' panel, told the defendant that all options including custody would be considered at the sentencing hearing on November 21.

He was released on bail with conditions not to contact Mrs Brown or Mr Compton.