A Suffolk businessman who stalked his former fiancee by putting a tracker on her car has been banned from entering Devon. 

Duncan Sweeting, aged 61, of Martlesham Heath, admitted stalking that caused serious alarm or distress.

The environmental consultant became obsessed with tracking his ex-partner down after she left him before their wedding in July 2021.

The court heard the victim was a research student and teacher at the University of Essex but she could not cope with his barrage of messages and harassment, which included entering her home and leaving her presents.

At a hearing at Exeter Crown Court on Monday, it was heard that Sweeting tried to follow her movements through social media and even created a false account in her name on Twitter which she has been unable to have removed.

She needed counselling for stress and became so alarmed at his actions that she resigned from her job at the University, paused her PhD work into public health, and moved to a secret location in South Devon.

The couple had lived together for about five years when she had a house in Suffolk, but their relationship broke down and despite attending counselling together, she called off the wedding.

The stalking only ended when she saw him parked in a country lane near Newton Abbot and called the police, who discovered that a tracker device had been fitted to her car.

Sweeting was jailed for two years, suspended for two years and sent on a Building Better Relationships course by Recorder Mr Richard Paige.

The judge also imposed an indefinite restraining order which bans any form of contact with the victim and excludes him from Devon.

The judge told Sweeting: “While it is understandable that you would be upset by the relationship breaking down, you considered you were entitled to an explanation from her. You had no such entitlement.

“You bombarded her with calls, texts and letters. Your behaviour went far beyond seeking answers. You entered her home without permission and left gifts. You stole private journals and videos which had sentimental value to her.

“You followed her 300 miles to Devon despite her best efforts to avoid you. You set up fake social media accounts in her name. She was forced to give up her job, take significant time off work and move from one side of the country to the other, all at considerable expense.

“Your conduct was designed to maximise her distress, there was a high degree of planning and it carried on for six months, only ceasing when you were arrested. It caused her very serious distress and forced her to make very considerable changes in her lifestyle.”

Miss Victoria Bastock, prosecuting, said the stalking started in the summer of 2021 when Sweeting’s estranged partner was living in Suffolk and working at the University of Essex and continued after she gave up her home and fled to Devon.

Mr Paul Dentith, defending, said Sweeting had been perplexed by the ending of the relationship, which happened so soon before the planned wedding that he had already bought his suit.

He denied fixing a tracker device to her car and said he continued trying to contact her because he needed to understand why she had rejected him.

He has abided by a Stalking Protection Order, stayed away from her, and shown remorse.

Mr Dentith said Sweeting runs his own business in Suffolk and has six employees whose livelihoods may be at risk if he went straight to jail.