Former police officer avoids jail after stalking and filming ex-wife and her new partner

A former police officer has been spared jail after stalking his estranged wife who had an affair in a retail car park.

Gavin Harper, 45, caught Stephanie Glynn, 40, who was also a police officer having sex with a colleague in a parked car outside a Screwfix store in Birkenhead, Merseyside.

He filmed the lovers, who were naked from the waist down, after placing a tracking device on the underside of Ms Glynn’s vehicle.

Harper, who was found guilty of aggravated stalking last month, walked free from Liverpool Crown Court on Monday with a suspended two-year jail sentence.

Judge David Potter said Harper would have been jailed if not for the effect it would have on his son and parents.

‘Obsessed to point of criminality’

But he added that Harper had become “obsessed to the point of criminality” and described his actions as “rash, foolish, selfish and unprofessional”.

The court was told that Harper and Ms Glynn met as Merseyside Police officers and were in a six-year relationship before they married in 2018.

But Ms Glynn left the family home in December 2020 after she grew close to her work mentor Insp Andrew McLullich, 42.

Giving evidence, Harper said he wanted “undeniable proof” of the affair, resulting in him tracking the pair and filming them through the car window.

His intention was to pass the video to police as evidence of two serving officers having an inappropriate relationship during Covid lockdown restrictions, he said.

Judge Potter told Harper: “I am sure you became obsessed to the point of criminality in stalking Stephanie Glynn to provide evidence of her affair to weaponise that against her for having that affair, and you also became determined to destroy the career of Andrew McLullich.

“In that obsession the feelings, embarrassment and pain felt by Stephanie Glynn were collateral damage. You were more concerned about your own feelings and a raging sense of injustice.”

‘No credit to any involved’

He said the events at Screwfix “do no credit to any of the people involved” and the incident was “rash, foolish, selfish and unprofessional”.

Judge Potter went on: “I am sure it has haunted them [Ms Glynn and Mr McLullich] and will continue to haunt them for many years.”

But he said their acts were “made worse” by Harper filming them on his mobile phone.

He said: “It was a further gross example of stalking designed to maximise their humiliation to your advantage.

“Your conduct was intended to maximise fear or distress. You resorted to stalking out of a sense of vengeance for being the victim of an affair. I am sure the distress caused to your victim has been very serious.”

Harper’s barrister told the court that he would lose his security job if sent to prison and would be unable to make his mortgage payments.

His parents, who he informally cares for, would “not be able to cope” and his son would have to give up his university studies.

As well as the suspended sentence, Judge Potter issued Harper with a seven-year restraining order from contacting or approaching Ms Glynn and Mr McLullich.

Harper must also perform 200 hours of unpaid work and complete 20 days of rehabilitation.