A man from Staffordshire who secretly placed a tracking device in his former girlfriend's bag to monitor her movements after he ended their relationship has been sentenced in court.
Covert Surveillance After Breakup
Sam Booth, 39, of Charles Street, Cheadle, admitted one count of stalking at North Staffordshire Justice Centre. The court heard that Booth had been in a relationship with the victim for approximately eight months before he decided to end it.
Prosecutor Zaine Riaz explained that disagreements about their future, including Booth's desire to have children while the victim did not, led to the breakup. However, before officially parting ways, Booth covertly placed a GPS tracking device inside the victim's personal bag.
A Campaign of Harassment and Fear
For a period of one month, Booth used the device to surveil the woman's location. He then sent her a series of four messages, revealing that he knew her whereabouts. On January 31, he asked if she was at the gym and, when she denied it, replied with a laughing emoji.
The situation escalated on February 22 when Booth directly asked if she was at a specific man's address. It was at this point the victim informed him she was actually at a police station, reporting his behaviour. Booth's immediate response was to instruct her to "destroy the tracking device."
In a powerful victim impact statement read to the magistrates, the woman described the profound effect the stalking had on her life. "Since learning Sam was tracking me, I no longer feel safe," she said. She detailed suffering from sleeplessness, constant anxiety, and a pervasive feeling of being followed.
Court Outcome and Defendant's Justification
Defending, Lee Yates said Booth's actions were a "misguided attempt" to justify ending the relationship by confirming unfounded suspicions. He stated Booth now fully understood the seriousness of his crime.
Despite the significant impact on the victim, Booth was handed an 18-month community order and must complete 60 hours of unpaid work. He was also given an 18-month restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim and ordered to pay £199 in costs.
Sentencing him, the magistrates urged Booth to reflect on the victim's statement. When advised to "move on with your life," Booth replied, "I already have. Moved on a long time ago."
