‘Smug’ husband bragged to wife of stalking her with car tracker

A HUSBAND who stalked his wife boasted “you didn’t think I was this clever, did you?” when he revealed the tracker he had placed in her car, a court heard yesterday.

Michael William “tormented” his wife Belinda, a retired headmistress, during a six-week campaign by tracking her journeys as she went to see friends, go to the shops and visit a pub. The retired builder filmed covert videos of his wife of 28 years as she watched TV at a male friend’s house.

The 73-year-old started stalking when he suspected Mrs William of infidelity as their marriage broke down, the court heard.

She discovered the extent of his actions when she told him she was going to either Sainsbury’s or Waitrose.

When she returned to their home in Alton, Hants, William told her the exact car park and shop she had gone to.

He showed her the black box he had hidden in her car boot, in a “triumphant and smug” fashion, and said: “You didn’t know I was this clever, did you?”

At Southampton magistrates’ court, William admitted a charge of stalking and was given a restraining order preventing him from making any contact with his wife, from whom he is now getting divorced.

Prosecutor Natalie Angel said: “In June 2022, she realised the relationship was not right and in July she ended the relationship. It became clear he was following her. He would challenge her

‘Michael wished to end the relationship yet he refused to let me live my life’

why she wasn’t where she said she would be. She stopped telling him where she was going and soon became aware he was tracking her car.”

The court heard of another incident where William was spotted driving near a pub as Mrs William was due to meet friends, despite her not telling him that was where she would be. William said he had “evidence on her” and showed her a screen with images and routes of where she had been, including photos of the man with whom he thought she was cheating on him. The court heard he had 20 videos of his wife watching TV at a friend’s house.

Reading her victim personal statement in court, Mrs William said: “Michael wished to end the relationship yet he refused to let me live my life.”

She said her career had been stressful at times, but never required medication for anxiety, which she is now taking.

William was handed a 12-month community order, consisting of seven rehabilitation requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.