Brute who bugged ex’s room is jailed
A jealous bully who bugged his girlfriend’s bedroom so he could spy on her has been caged by a sheriff.
Gabriel Trepkos, 34, was handed a total of 30 months behind bars and he will be closely watched by the authorities for another year on his release from prison.
Sheriff Mark Thorley told him there was no other way of dealing with him given the nature of the offences.
Trepkos had installed the covert surveillance device at Josephine Hastings’ flat in Johnstone, which he used to listen in without her knowledge.
The brute even created a contact on his mobile phone called “Shug the Plug” which he activated by calling it so he could eavesdrop on university student Ms Hastings.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Trepkos, who was in a relationship with her for just over a year, continued to harass her even after they split in January last year.
He continued to monitor her and track her movements.
He bombarded her with calls and texts.
He also demanded she send him photos showing her location.
He even bragged to her that he and his pal John “were laughing at her because she was singing to her cat Max”.
This left Ms Hastings feeling alarmed and frightened.
Trepkos even turned up at a Tinder date she had arranged with another man, Steven Wilson, where he confronted and attacked Mr Wilson at the McDonald’s restaurant in Phoenix Retail Park.
He rained blows on Mr Wilson and when Ms Hastings told him she was calling police, he replied: “I bugged your home.
“That’s why I knew you were going to be at McDonald’s.”
He appeared from custody for sentencing after pleading guilty to a charge of engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive to his partner, repeatedly accusing her of being unfaithful, repeatedly calling and texting her to ascertain her whereabouts, ask that she send images to display her location, following her, stealing her laptop, and installing a listening device in her property so he could spy on her, between January 2020 and January 2021.
He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Wilson on January 8 this year by attempting to pull him from his car and repeatedly punching him.
Trepkos, of Baillieston, also admitted a third charge of using a true key to enter Mr Wilson’s car on January 12, this year, to rummage through the glove box and scatter documents on the ground.
The court heard when Ms Hastings told her parents about Trepkos bugging her home, her father and brother discovered a double plug socket in her bedroom, which was loose.
Inside the socket was an EE sim card attached to a circuit board and a microphone.
The device which was photographed, removed and handed to the police was later examined and anti- terrorism confirmed it had been rigged up as a covert “listening device.”
Defence agent Jason Beltrami said his client was “apologetic” over how he behaved.
He added Trepkos accepted responsibility for his actions and realised he “has had difficulties with relationships in the past”.
He said: “Hopefully this will not continue in the future and it is quite important he receives professional help when he is released.
“Because this behaviour cannot continue when he is released.
“He acknowledges that and he has a previous conviction for similar offending.”
Sheriff Thorley handed him a total of 30 months, and ordered he be supervised by the local authority for one year on his release from jail. He also imposed a fiveyear a Non Harassment Order barring him from contacting or approaching both Ms Hastings and Mr Wilson.
He said; “There is no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence and considering the nature of the offending I will impose a NHO for five years.”