Jailed: Telford man, 39, stalked his ex-wife after relationship broke down

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court charged with stalking his former wife between February and July 2015. The 39-year-old, from Telford, began a relationship with his former wife in 2006 and the couple married and had children. But the relationship had deteriorated by 2015 and they were living separate lives.

Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said the man's ex-wife began to form an impression she and her children were being spied upon.

He said: "Her sister then received a message via Whatsapp. The defendant wrote a long document about her with details of her sex life and her personal hygiene, as well as comments she had made about her work and job, and was then forwarded on to her friends, family and colleagues.

"When she heard of this she felt sick and personally violated. She went to the police but the defendant continued to send messages to the children saying their mother did not love them.

"She was called in to speak to the HR department at work after a malicious message was sent to two of her managers on email along with a recorded message in which she discussed her work. She did not send either.

"She started to investigate and found an app had been installed on her phone. She also found it on her children's phones and on the tablets.

"He continued to contact the children and sent a long document to her mother and grandmother.

"He was spying on them from afar."

Mr Richard Gray, defending, said in these types of cases there was a complex background. He said: "There had been postings on the internet by the victim about him. His postings were tit for tat."

Judge Peter Barriem sentencing, said the defendant had turned the relationship breakdown into to a war in which "they were the casualties".

The man was also made subject of a 10-year restraining order to avoid contact with his ex-wife.