Leeds stalker fitted tracking device to estranged wife's car after she started relationship with another man

Lee Barker also set up a fake Facebook account in the victim's new partner's name and posted an image of a sniper on it.

Leeds Crown Court heard Barker carried out the offending as he was unable to cope to the breakdown of his 20-year marriage to the victim.

Mohammed Khan, prosecuting, said Barker's former partner became suspicious in November 2017 when she noticed a tyre on her car was flat and the wheel was smashed on a weekly basis.

The woman told Barker in January 2018 that she was in a new relationship and asked him to stay away from her.

Two months later Barker set up a fake Facebook account in her boyfriend's name with a sniper image "as if he was a target".

Barker also posted the woman's mobile phone number online with a message inviting people to call "for a good time."

In November 2018 the woman's neighbours told her that they had seen Barker watching her home.

A month later he was seen watching the home of her new boyfriend.

Barker was also seen on CCTV footage near the victim's car around the time it got a flat tyre.

Police were contacted and found a tracking device fitted to the vehicle when it was examined.

Mr Khan said the woman did not know the device had been fitted to the vehicle and did not consent to it being there.

Barker, 50, of Holtdale Gardens, Adel, Leeds pleaded guilty to stalking.

A victim statement was read to the court on the behalf of the woman.

She described how the offending had caused her to suffer stress and anxiety.

She said: "I feel like I'm being watched. I do not know if he will be around the corner or will follow me."

Joanna Shepherd, mitigating, said Barker pleaded guilty to the offence at an early stage and had been out of trouble for more than a year since his arrest.

She said the offending happened at a time when he was struggling to cope with the death of his mother.

Judge Simon Batiste said: "What is clear is that you were wholly unable to allow yourself to break away from the relationship.

"You were in fact spying on them on a regular basis and you even went as far as putting a tracking device on her car.

Barker was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to do 70 hours of unpaid work and attend a 'building better relationships programme.'

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.Thank you

Laura Collins