A police firearms officer who put a tracker in his ex-partner’s car and checked it dozens of times a day has been found guilty of stalking.
Brighton Magistrates Court heard Surrey officer Jake Mullarkey checked the location of the tracker more than 600 times after hiding it in the victim's spare tyre.
The 36-year-old PC admitted placing the device in the victim’s car but said that he had done it because of safety concerns.
He also admitted checking the device while he was at work and even when he went to the Euro 2024 final in Germany.
He was still checking the location of his victim's car moments before he was arrested on suspicion of stalking.
Mullarkey admitted being jealous after the relationship broke down.
He bought the Apple AirTag and hid it inside the spare tyre in the boot of her car without telling her, the court heard.
The court, sitting on June 24, heard the victim was distraught at finding the tracker.
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Mullarkey was arrested on July 28, 2024, and was suspended from the force, a police spokesman said.
District Judge Teresa Szagun told Mullarkey she was satisfied he was guilty of stalking which he knew or ought to have known amounted to harassment.
DJ Szagun said there was no dispute Mullarkey hid the AirTag in the car and the number of times he checked its location.
He checked the app 668 times between June 24 and July 27, 2024.
Another magnetic car tracker was also found in PC Mullarkey’s possession and an order for another tracking device was found in his emails.
Mullarkey claimed his former partner asked him to track her and the tag was put in the car in order to keep her safe.
“Going to Germany belies the extent of his concern for her safety,” the judge said.
“I’m sure the hiding, checking and monitoring of the tracker amounts to stalking.
“In the context of his role, it makes no sense - even if he had been asked - he would have done so by hiding the tag in the way he did rather than sharing locations and that this would be an effective way of ensuring her safety.”
Mullarkey will be sentenced on July 21 at Brighton Magistrates' Court.
