MAN WHO PLANTED SECRET IPHONES IN EX-GIRLFRIEND'S CAR IS HANDED SUSPENDED SENTENCE AND RESTRAINING ORDER
A court heard he also sent her unsolicited gifts, turned up when she went to hospital for an appointment and made threats about a new man in her life during a campaign of stalking spanning three months last year.Newcastle Crown Court heard they had been in an on-off relationship since October 2021 and she said he was controlling throughout.
They split up in June 2023 but still spoke as friends.
He tried to reconcile with her in February 2025 but this was rejected.
On February 17, he sent an email to her work account, which she didn't open.
When she left work and got into her car, she heard an "irregular beeping" from inside the car.
Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, said she found a pouch in the glove compartment containing an iPhone and charger.
The phone had the "find my iPhone" app turned on.
The phone belonged to Boyd and the wallpaper on it showed him and the victim.
When she sent him a picture of it to him, he replied: "What can I say.
I've never in my life felt as strongly about anyone.
I feel life is not worth living without you." In early March, he sent her flowers and then went on to send various gifts, including a kettle, toaster and juicer machine.
On another occasion, he turned up at her home and was banging on her patio doors.
When a neighbour challenged him, he swore at him.
On March 20, she was with a male friend when she got a message from her sister saying Boyd had sent her a picture of her with the other man and commented that she must be in a new relationship.
On March 27, the woman attended the Freeman Hospital for an appointment and Boyd turned up at a park where she had left her car.
She told him "Stop stalking me".
She drove off and he followed her.
On March 28 she found a small bag under the read middle seat of her car and inside it was an iPhone with a charger attached.
Once again, it had the "find my iPhone" app running.
In subsequent emails, he made threats to the woman about the other man.
He was arrested on April 21 but went on to contact her again, in breach of his bail conditions.
She got 31 calls from an unknown number, some of which were silent when she answered and he also followed her on social media.
In a victim impact statement, she said: "My whole life has literally been turned upside down.
I find it hard to put into words how this has affected me.
It genuinely does affect every minute of my day.
I've had to make adjustments to my life, including selling my car so he doesn't know what I'm driving and changing the locks to my home because he had a key on him.
I'm considering moving home.
I worry about going shopping, taking my bin out, meeting my friends, going to work, in case he is still watching me and tracking my movements.
He has left me feeling isolated from friends because I'm scared to go out.
Nobody should have to live like this.
I can't stress enough how it affects my day to day living.
He was on bail and breached the conditions twice, even after he pleaded guilty, so it shows he has no intention of stopping.
I hope, one day, I can live a normal life again without living every day in fear.
Boyd, 43, of Parkside Court, Ashington, pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress between February and April last year.
He was sentenced to 13 months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work and a six month GPS monitored tag.
He was also given a ten-year restraining order.
Recorder David Gordon told him: "You used surveillance technology and your actions were prolonged over a period of time." Brian Hegarty, defending, said: "The relationship began in a surreptitious way on both parts and involved hiding things.
He believed them to be in an exclusive relationship, then events occurred that showed that not to be the case and from that point on there were problems in the relationship." "None of this gets away from the fact he behaved in a way which is completely unacceptable and should never have happened." "There was no violence used or threats of violence used to intimidate the complainant." He added that the gifts were items the woman had mentioned that she wanted.
Mr Hegarty said Boyd has autism and attended a special school and has difficulty functioning around people.
He added: "He accepts he became fixated with matters and on events.
His level of understanding is not equivalent to those who don't have the problems he has." The court heard Boyd works as a chef and helps care for his adult children, one of whom is severely autistic.
