Jonathan Franklin (36) of Cleethorpes’ Grimsby Road was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday, June 7, after pleading guilty to two counts of stalking. A five-year restraining order was also issued to him.
Franklin installed a secret listening device into a phone charger before giving it to his victim between August 2021 and February 2022. He then used this to listen in on what was going on in the victim’s home before sending her messages about what he had heard, instilling fear in her.
This behaviour led his victim to believe he had installed surveillance devices in her home, and further investigation revealed that a listening device had been installed in the charger he had given her.
First and foremost, I would like to commend the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation and court proceedings,” said PC Jak Shephard, the case’s officer. She has shown tremendous bravery, and I hope that the sentence imposed on Franklin provides her with some sense of justice.
“This was a particularly disturbing case in which a cunning stalker went to great lengths to invade his victim’s privacy.” Not only that, but he went on to cause her great anxiety and distress by relaying details of her personal life to her in his messages, making her own home feel unsafe for her to be in.
“I am relieved that he is no longer on our streets and unable to torment his victim.”
“We take reports of stalking and harassment extremely seriously, and I’d like to reassure anyone who has experienced similar behaviour that we will listen and support you.”
If you have been the victim of stalking or harassment, you have several options for reporting it to the police.” You can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, or you can report directly to us at 101, or 999 in an emergency.
