An estranged wife who secretly put an Apple AirTag on her husband’s van during a row about child support has escaped a restraining order after claiming she ‘did not realise’ it was illegal.
Claire Dent, 49, said she did not know it was against the law to fit the device on spouse Paul Dent’s work van during the ‘difficult’ and ‘protracted’ breakdown of their marriage.
Dent used the £30 Bluetooth device to carry out surveillance and ‘gather evidence’ over two months in a bid to prove he was working while refusing to pay child support.
An AirTag is designed to help people track their belongings.
After Dent installed the device, Mr Dent was left ‘living in a state of anxiety and fear’ as his estranged wife checked it every day and repeatedly showed up wherever he was until he discovered the gadget, a court heard.
Dent pleaded guilty to one charge of stalking without causing fear or distress on the day of her trial in October last year.
She has now been handed a 12 month community order for ‘violating’ Mr Dent by tracking him.
Sentencing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, Hampshire, Deputy District Judge Andrew Teate said she ‘ought to have known’ her actions were against the law.
‘It is always disappointing when someone comes before the court for the first time,’ he said.
‘I accept you did not realise it would constitute harassment but now you accept you ought to have known.
‘I am sure there will be no repetition.’
Prosecutor David Fossler read a statement from Mr Dent who said the ‘profound betrayal’ in late 2023 was affecting him to this day.
He said: ‘Firstly the surveillance and harassment has taken a significant toll on my mental health and wellbeing, my GP has doubled my anti-depressants.
‘I now find myself living in a state of anxiety and fear, this has led to sleepless nights.
‘This behaviour has disrupted my daily life and routine, I am avoiding certain places to minimise my chance of being followed.
‘It has affected my work performance, it is having an effect on my relationships with friends and family.
‘I feel a profound sense of betrayal and violation.’
The mother of one had fitted the device to their shared van at the start of November 2023, the court heard.
The couple were going through a lengthy divorce and she had been advised 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 while 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 while 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.
Outlining the case last October, prosecutor Anisa Alrubaie told the court that Mr Dent was fitting a spotlight to the van on December 29, 2023, 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.’
Mitigating on the day of plea, defence lawyer Kevin Hill said that Dent, of Hampshire, 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 was given a 12 month community order with 12 rehabilitation days and 40 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £114.
No restraining order was imposed.