Portsmouth headteacher stalked by ex-husband who put tracker in new car
A Portsmouth female headteacher was stalked by her ex-husband who put a voice recorder and tracker in her new car just months after they filed for divorce, a court heard.
Louise Quaid said Darren Grada left her ‘very jumpy’ and ‘hyper vigilant’ after he secretly bugged her and listened to her conversations.
In the month following her purchase of the vehicle, the 59 year old appeared at her location three days in a row, which led her to search the car. This led to the discovery of a voice recording device under the steering wheel, a judge was told.
Ms Quaid is the executive principal of two schools for pupils with complex learning difficulties. These are Littlegreen Academy, in Chichester, which teaches boys aged 7-16 years, and Redwood Park Academy in Portsmouth which is for children between 11 and 16 years old.
She told the court that managing the anxiety her ex husband caused her with his 'intrusive' behaviour - which included damaging her car - felt like a ‘full time job'.
Grada, of Southwood Road, Hayling Island, has now been sentenced to a 12 month community order at Portsmouth Magistrates Court, after pleading guilty to stalking and criminal damage against Ms Quaid, who he was married to for seven years.
He was also issued with a five-year restraining order which prevents him from going to her home as well as the schools she works at.
Prosecuting, Laura Jenking-Rees told the court the couple filed for divorce in October 2023.
Ms Quaid bought a new car in February 2024, and her ex husband appeared in places she travelled to on February 10, 11 and 12.
This led her to search the vehicle, and Ms Quaid then found a voice recorder under the steering wheel. She also found a tracker in the car, and there was some damage which she believed Grada was responsible for.
In June of the same year, he turned up at a house when Ms Quaid was supposed to be there - he claimed that this was a coincidence.He also appeared to follow her in his car on another occasion.
The prosecutor said: "Driving again, [Ms Quaid] sees him parked up. He appears to follow her, stops behind her...then he drives off."
After Ms Quaid reported her ex husband to the police, they seized Grada's phone and found audio files on it which were recordings of a ‘female speaking in a car’.
Ms Jenking-Rees told the court: “He has effectively recorded conversations while she has been in the car.”
In a victim impact statement read by the prosecutor to the court, Ms Quaid said that the stalking ‘affects her work’. She added that she now feels ‘very jumpy’ and ‘hyper vigilant’ when she goes out.
Ms Quaid said: “I reflect on these matters, I have stress and anxiety all the time. It’s been like a full time job managing my anxiety.”
For the defence, Bridget O’Hagan said that the offences were committed when Grada was at ‘his rock bottom’.
Sentencing him, Judge Kevin Hill said: “I am sentencing you for two offences - stalking and criminal damage.
“They are serious matters, the stalking involved a voice recorder in her car and a tracking device. That, in my judgement, makes it particularly serious because of the intrusive nature of that, and I have heard the impact that these matters have had on her.”
Judge Hill noted that Grada was ‘ashamed’ of his behaviour. As part of his sentence, Grada must complete 20 sessions of rehabilitation activities and 80 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay a £114 surcharge and costs of £85.