SOUTH LONDON STALKER PUT TRACKER ON EX'S CAR AND HID IN BUSH OUTSIDE HER MUM'S HOME
A man accused of stalking his former partner by placing a GPS tracker on her vehicle and hiding outside her mother’s residence admitted guilt on the first day of his trial.Jack Martin, aged 32 and residing on Pontefract Road in Bromley, appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court and lowered his head in shame after confessing to offenses including stalking that caused significant alarm and distress, along with harassment without violence.
This admission was made on Thursday, May 15.
Prosecutor Mohammed Rana described how Mr.
Martin's alarming conduct began following the end of his relationship with the mother of his child.
The court was told that police had responded to seven domestic incident reports involving the same woman throughout their relationship.
The case escalated after police inadvertently disclosed her new address in bail conditions given to Mr.
Martin.
He subsequently visited her home on November 9, 2024, and became involved in a physical altercation as he attempted to enter her vehicle, according to Mr.
Rana.
He also seized her phone and snatched her friend’s car keys, which were later returned by post.
On November 15, a safeguarding team responded to what they believed was an active threat, believing Mr.
Martin might be nearby.
The woman reported that he had already left, but officers found him hiding behind a door.
Mr.
Martin claimed that she had been in contact with him, the court heard.
In a separate incident, she informed police she had been at her mother’s house when she saw Mr.
Martin concealed in a bush near her home.
He then started calling her mother to inquire why she had been seen with another man and sent multiple texts calling her a 'slag' and a 'c**t', the court heard.
There was suspicion that Mr.
Martin had affixed a tracking device to her vehicle.
As police arrived, he was spotted on a doorbell camera outside her property, asking, “Why are you hiding?” When officers reached her home, they found a small black box attached with a cable to a pipe beneath her car.
The victim expressed in a statement that these events left her frightened and worried about potential retaliation from Mr.
Martin and his family.
She conveyed her fear that abuse might continue once Mr.
Martin is released from custody, mentioning ongoing co-parenting struggles that have worsened.
His legal representative characterised the case as a dispute over visitation rights, noting that the tracker suggested mental health issues.
The lawyer expressed concern that Mr.
Martin’s actions reflected poor judgment, though the court’s chairwoman emphasized that such behavior would not aid his position in family court.
Since his arrest, Mr.
Martin has been lightly cautioned and diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, with tests for Bipolar Disorder pending.
Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and maintained strict bail restrictions preventing him from entering SE20 or Ashford in Kent, making contact with the victim, or arranging child visits without a third party involved.
