A STALKER placed a GPS tracker on his victim’s car and audio recorded her without her knowledge.

Marius Patrolea, 34, also visited the woman’s address and sent her and her family messages despite being told not to do so.

Appearing before magistrates last week, he admitted a single count of stalking and a further count of assault against a man.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said they received a report on November 1, last year, relating to allegations of stalking and harassment by a man targeting a woman aged in her 30s.

It was reported that the man had attended his victim’s address on numerous occasions despite being told he was not welcome and had sent messages to her and her family.

On December 29, 2019, police received a report that the same man had attended the victim’s address in Poole and had assaulted a man aged in his 20s by driving over his feet in his car.

Later that day, a 34-year-old man was arrested and he was subsequently charged with a stalking offence and assault by beating.

Patrolea, of Richmond Wood Road, Bournemouth, appeared before Poole Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 26.

He admitted pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to stalking of a woman and which he knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of her despite being told by the victim and police to refrain from doing so.

He was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and issued with a restraining order to have no contact with the victim. The courts also ordered him to pay £100 compensation.

He also admitted assaulting a man by beating. He was ordered to pay £50 compensation, a £90 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

DC Ian Caddy, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Dorset Police is committed to protecting vulnerable victims of crime and this case is a demonstration of the action we will take to identify offenders and bring them before the court.

“We will also do all we can to ensure victims are given access to any support they need.

“We take all reports of stalking and harassment seriously and I would urge anyone who is the victim of this kind of behaviour to please contact us.”

Anyone in immediate danger should call 999, otherwise contact police on 101.

For further information and support contact the National Stalking Helpline on 0800 802 0300 or visit www.suzylamplugh.org. Alternatively, contact Paladin – the national stalking advocacy service – on 020 3866 4107 or visit www.paladinservice.co.uk.