A man secretly hid an Apple AirTag on his ex-partner’s car after discovering she was in a new relationship.
Robert Sherriffs used the tracking device to map her movements and also turned up at the woman’s Banchory home in the middle of the night.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the pair’s 14-year relationship came to an end in 2016 and for three years they got on amicably.
However, after hearing from a friend that she might still have feelings for him, the 45-year-old embarked on a campaign of “prolonged irrational behaviour” that has landed him in the dock.
Campaign of harassment begins
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the woman was at home in Banchory at 3am on September 29 2019 when she heard someone walking on her gravel driveway.
She looked outside and saw Sherriffs “staggering about trying to operate his mobile”.
The woman was “alarmed” by the unannounced visit and told him to leave before going to sleep in her daughter’s room.
When she woke up, she discovered numerous missed calls and texts from Sherriffs, leaving her “concerned and worried”.
In the early hours on February 2 2020, while the woman was socialising with friends, she received a number of “agitated” messages from Sherriffs “making fun” of her and insinuating she was in a relationship with another man.
The woman ignored the messages and when she woke up in the morning her daughter informed her Sherriffs had texted her at 3.30am asking “when breakfast is” because he “wants to meet” the man.
The family did not know how Sherriffs knew the man was at the address.
On October 15 2022, the woman received a notification on her mobile phone that an Apple AirTag was with her.
The 10p-sized devices, which cost £35, were designed to help users keep track of belongings, like luggage or car keys.
Sherriffs’ victim initially ignored the warning but when she received a second one later that evening she clicked on it and was taken to a map which showed all her movements from that day.
This prompted her to check CCTV footage from her home.
Sherriffs had been there the previous day to pick up their children and the footage caught him bending down at the rear of her car and placing something underneath the bumper.
Left in a state of “fear and alarm”, the woman immediately contacted the police.
‘This is an extremely strange case’
Sherriffs, of Burnside, Lumphanan, pled guilty to engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive of his ex-partner.
Defence agent Shane Campbell said: “This is an extremely strange case.”
He said that for three years following the break-up, the pair were on amicable terms.
Mr Campbell went on: “What seems to have been the catalyst for this prolonged irrational behaviour from the accused is he was told by a friend of his ex-partner that she still had feelings for him.
“That confused him somewhat and was probably behind the initial attempt to make contact in September 2019.
“He was trying to establish if there was anything in this or if it was a fantasy tale from this individual.”
‘What your ex-partner does has got absolutely nothing to do with you’
Regarding the behaviour in February 2020, Mr Campbell said his client had been advised that his ex was sleeping with another man.
He was also told that the man was sleeping at the house for the woman’s protection.
The solicitor said: “This just seems to set off a complete course of irrational conduct.
“He appears to be angered by the idea that he poses a serious risk towards his ex-partner.
“He’s clearly taken umbrage at this and that appears to have been the catalyst for this course of conduct.”
Sheriff Philip Mann told Sherriffs: “What you’ve got to understand is what your ex-partner does has got absolutely nothing to do with you.
“You’ve got no business interfering in her life.
“You’ve just got to keep yourself to yourself and leave your ex-partner alone, alright?”
He ordered Sherriffs to be supervised for two years and complete the Caledonian programme.
He also imposed a £1,425 fine and a three-year non-harassment order.
Apple condemns behaviour
A spokesman for Apple said: “AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products.
“Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag.
“It’s why the Find My network is built with privacy in mind, uses end-to-end encryption, and why we innovated with the first-ever proactive system to alert you of unwanted tracking.”
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