Lee-on-the-Solent woman pleads guilty to stalking after tracking husband's whereabouts by attaching Apple AirTag to vehicle

Claire Dent, from Lee-on-the-Solent, was going through a 'difficult' and 'protracted' split with spouse Paul when she made the 'very foolish' decision to fit the device to his van, magistrates were told.

The 'invasive' £30 device which the 49-year-old employed to carry out her surveillance and 'gather evidence' over two months uses Bluetooth technology to help people track their belongings. After she installed it, Mr Dent was left 'living in a state of anxiety' as his estranged wife checked it every day and repeatedly showed up wherever he was until he discovered the gadget, the court heard.

Mrs Dent pleaded guilty to one charge of stalking without causing fear or distress and will be sentenced next year. Southampton Magistrates Court heard the mother of one had fitted the device to their shared van at the start of November last year. The couple were going through a lengthy divorce and she had been advised that she was in a 'difficult position' when it came to proving that Mr Dent - who runs a property maintenance business - was doing additional work during their divorce.

She wanted to prove he was working whilst claiming benefits and refusing to pay any child support or contribute to their shared mortgage. The pair have one son, who is now an adult, and they ran a business together whilst they were married but it closed as a result of their ongoing divorce. Mr Dent uncovered the tracker just after Christmas when he spotted a strange green wire wrapped around the front grille of the van and once he unravelled it he discovered it was attached to an Apple AirTag. Dent would appear while Mr Dent was out on jobs across Hampshire in Eastleigh and Gosport.

Prosecutor Anisa Alrubaie told the court that Mr Dent was fitting a spotlight to the van on December 29 last year when he noticed the wire. She said: "Throughout the period, up until the stalking stopped, he had attended various locations and seen the defendant there. It culminates on December 29, 2023, when Mr Dent was fitting a spotlight to the van.

"He noticed a small green wire wrapped around the grille carrying an Apple AirTag tracking device. He came to the realisation that the defendant had been using the tracker to take a course of action against him."

Ms Alrubaie also summarised Mr Dent's victim impact statement and described him 'living in a state of anxiety' since the stalking.

"Firstly, the surveillance and harassment has taken a significant toll on his emotional wellbeing, there has been a great decline in his mental state," she said."He now finds himself living in a state of anxiety and fear, he has a sense of unease at all times.

"The stalking has had an affect on his relationships and family, he worries constantly about their safety and wellbeing. There is also the lasting damage this has caused to his relationship with his son."

Mitigating, defence lawyer Kevin Hill said that Dent recognised her behaviour had been 'very foolish' and that she was 'extremely anxious' to be in court.

He said: "She fitted a tracking device to the van, she checked it on a daily basis. It is a serious matter, that is a very invasive act which she very deeply regrets and understands the impact that would have had.

"This happened during very protracted divorce proceedings, you will understand there are two sides in any relationship. At the time she was at a very low point, she was represented at the time and she was advised that she was in a difficult position.

"She came up with the idea of fitting the device to the van to see if he was going to visit clients they had built together. It was a very foolish thing to do, at 49 she has found herself in the criminal court."

Dent, who has no previous convictions, will be sentenced on January 8, 2025.