Former British Army colonel who stalked terrified ex and put tracker on her car slapped with five-year restraining order

Daily Mail​

21 hours ago

A retired British Army colonel with a distinguished 37-year career terrified his ex-partner by stalking her and putting a tracker on her car, a court heard.
Col Terry Southwood, 57, bombarded Sarah Crossley-Weir with messages, sent her flowers and turned up at her home after she ended their four-year relationship.
He also placed a covert air tag device in her car so he could track her movements.
His 'relentless' behaviour left her so frightened she beefed up her home security, adding alarms and cameras, and she was given a police phone to use in case matters escalated, the court heard.
Ms Crossley-Weir said she even felt scared when she opened her door to let her cats in and had to take medication to treat anxiety.
Col Southwood, who graduated from Sandhurst had a 37-year career in the army with 'exemplary conduct'.
He partly blamed the PTSD he suffered from his time in the Army for his conduct.
A court heard how he had also paid Ms Crossley-Weir thousands of pounds to pay her children's private school fees after they had split up.
Col Southwood, who lives in the north Dorset village of East Stour, was spared prison by a judge after she received glowing character references for him.
Instead he was handed a five year restraining order to keep away from his ex-partner after pleading guilty to one count of stalking.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard the retired officer spent most of his career in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Salisbury, Wilts.
He had been in a relationship with Ms Crossley-Weir for four years and moved in with her and her four children at their home near Milton Abbas in July 2021.
But about a year later she told him she needed space and asked him to move out.
He 'took that badly' and downed half a bottle of whisky, which reacted with medication he was on and he ended up in hospital.
After that Ms Crossley-Weir told him she did not want him to see her children anymore and he 'reluctantly' moved out.
Casey Chard, prosecuting, said that on August 30, 2022 he sent 23 text messages 'in quick succession, professing his love'.
Mr Chard added that on September 16, 2022, Col Southwood left a bunch of sunflowers outside her home.
A note with them said: 'This is from the heart. Don't be mad with me, I miss you in every way. I have a sun tattooed on my chest because that's what you are. I think you will think bad of me for doing this. I miss you all, T.''
Mr Chard said that three days later Ms Crossley-Weir became suspicious about a tracking device in her car.
He said: 'She noticed on her mobile an air tag had been located near her and didn't think much of it that day but noticed it again the following day.
'Following investigation she was able to track the device to the vicinity of her car, albeit she was never able to find the device.
'On September 20, the day after she was able to track the device, Mr Southwood told her he had done something stupid, later confessing to placing the air tag within the vehicle.
In November and December Col Southwood sent Ms Crossley-Weir two handwritten letters and 86 text messages, prompting her to apply for a non-molestation order, which was granted.
But Col Southwood attended 'the vicinity' of her home twice in February 2023, which the court heard although not a technical breach of the order, did go 'against the spirit' of it.
Mr Chard said: 'It was persistent action over a prolonged period and very serious distress has been caused.'
Ms Crossley-Weir told the court it had been 'exceptionally difficult' and a 'deeply traumatic' time in her life.
She said: 'The defendant's actions led to an abject fear of being in my own home.
'My domestic abuse support worker came to assess and advise on safety modifications. Every door and window is now alarmed.
'I was terrified to step outside my home, to do even the most basic of tasks such as letting my cats in.
'I had a police phone due to the unrelenting attempts by the defendant to either contact me, come onto my property or watch me from the farm yard next to my property.
'I was further advised to install an outside camera due to a tracker the defendant placed in my car.
'I am a very happy person who loved life. To be reduced to feeling suicidal was horrendous. I was terrified of absolutely everything, severely depressed and suffering with extreme anxiety. It rendered me incapable of functioning.'
Col Southwood, who had no previous convictions, admitted one offence of stalking.
Towards the end of his army career he was the assistant chief of staff of army personnel and welfare.
After retiring he got a job as a medical delivery manager with Leidos, an industry and technology leader that works for both government and commercial companies.
Graham Gilbert, in mitigation, said the stalking was not persistent and prolonged because Ms Crossley-Weir had said in October 2022 she had not yet made a decision on whether she wanted to continue the relationship and text messages between them continued until early November.
He also said in the first few months after they split up Ms Crossley-Weir still expected Southwood to pay her children's school fees.
The court heard between January and October 2022 he transferred £115,000 to her.
Mr Gilbert said: 'He is remorseful, no relationship is meant to end up in front of your honour. He's in work and brings a significant amount of value.
'His military history is lengthy and distinguished, in the circumstances he found himself in that career he showed exemplary conduct in difficult personal circumstances.'
In sentencing him, Judge Susan Evans said: 'I have listened to the effect on Ms Crossley-Weir.
'She felt unable to function and her ability to parent her children suffered. It was persistent action over a prolonged period.'
But she said she could avoid sending him to prison and give him a community order for his 'positive character'.
She added: 'You had 37 years in the army, leaving at the rank of colonel. You did active service in various locations and suffered PTSD.
'Following the breakdown of the relationship it is quite clear your mental health declined and you became depressed. It is very much to your credit you're now working full time and clearly valued by your employers.'
Judge Evans gave him a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation days. She also ordered him to pay £500 costs.