Stalker catches police officer’s wife having sex with co-worker in Screwfix parking lot

An “obsessed” former police officer has been convicted of stalking his estranged policewoman wife after he caught her having sex with an inspector in a Screwfix car park.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday found father-of-two Gavin Harper, 45, guilty of seriously stalking Stephanie Green, 40, between December 2020 and February 2021. Stephanie Glynn), causing her severe alarm or distress.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge that Harper also unlawfully injured Andrew McLullich, 42, in the Screwfix car park in Birkenhead, Wirral.

Prosecutors will return to court on April 2 to announce whether they will seek a retrial on the outstanding charges.

The Crown said security officers engaged in “coercive, intrusive and unwanted conduct” towards Ms Green, including spying on her, covertly bugging her car, eavesdropping on her privacy, tracking her movements and taking items without her permission Her cell phone.

Harper allegedly discovered Screw’s late-night tryst after placing a tracker under Ms Green’s car.

The defendant and Ms Glynn met when they were both Merseyside police officers and were in a relationship for six years before marrying in 2018.

But Ms Green left the home in December 2020 after becoming close to her work mentor Mr McCluridge, with prosecutors saying the defendant was unable to accept the breakdown of the marriage and was “heaven bent on catching her red-handed”.

Ms Green and Mr McClulich were naked from the waist down in the back seat of the inspector’s car as Harper tiptoed and filmed with his phone pointed at the window.

Green, who is now divorced, was said to have suffered “extreme anxiety” as a result of the defendant’s behavior and told the jury she was “constantly looking over her shoulder”, changing her route to work and undergoing counselling.

Ryan Rothwell, prosecuting, said Harper knew what he did was wrong not only because of his police background but also because he had received repeated warnings about his behavior, including Ms Green telling him he was “unhinged” “.

Prosecutors said the defendant “pelted and kicked” the married inspector “with punches” after he opened the rear passenger door of the vehicle.

Ms Green allegedly pulled Harper away while Mr McClurich managed to get out of the car and pull up his sweatpants.

The prosecution also claimed that Mr McCluridge tried to stop Harper from retrieving the tracker from under Ms Green’s car and the defendant struck him over the head with a flashlight.

Harper denied cutting McClurich’s head with or without a flashlight.

Harper also denied inflicting self-inflicted facial injuries after leaving the Screwfix scene and said Mr McCluridge suffered no head injuries as he drove away after leaving Merseyside Police.

His lawyer, Suzanne Payne, told the jury: “Until October 2020, Gavin Harper believed he was happily married and that they would start a family.

“Then his wife started acting strangely and he wanted to know what was going on.”

Giving evidence Harper said he had no intention of violence when he arrived at the car park and just wanted “undeniable evidence” of the incident, something Ms Green has always denied.

He said his intention was to hand over the video to police as evidence of an inappropriate relationship between two serving police officers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Harper, of Liskeard, Wirral, said Mr McCluridge was the attacker who started punching and kicking him from inside the car and that he responded with “three or four” punches in self-defence.

He said he did not have the strength to react further and Mr McCluridge punched him again on the floor and Mr McCluridge “swept the legs” before he said Ms Green kicked him in the side while wearing a sock .

Harper said he later made a comment about the size of Mr McCluridge’s penis and was further assaulted.

The jury found Harper guilty of aggravated stalking by a majority of 11 to 1.

Harper was granted conditional bail until his next court appearance, but Judge David Porter told him he faced an immediate custodial sentence as a result of his conviction.