Prisoner who bugged ex’s bedroom sent Valentine’s letter from Scots jail and called 33 times

A prisoner bombarded his former lover with calls and a letter to try and rekindle the relationship.

Gabriel Trepkos, 36, made 33 calls to Josephine Hastings in two days from HMP Low Moss, Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire in February 2021.

Trepkos made further calls in the following days before sending a handwritten letter to her home in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, on Valentine's Day.

He said: "It's Valentine's Day and I haven't heard from you, you must have moved on."

Trepkos also made mention of being lonely and wanting to see her in future. Trepkos was locked up for 30 months after bugging Miss Hasting's bedroom so he could spy on her.

He installed a covert surveillance device in order to listen to her without her knowledge. Trepkos created a contact on his phone named 'Shug the plug' which activated the listening device.

He pled guilty today at Glasgow Sheriff Court to engaging in a course of conduct which was the abuse of a partner or ex-partner.

The court heard Trepkos was subject to a five-year non-harassment order not to contact Miss Hastings. He had her number saved on a mobile which he used to "repeatedly phone her from prison."

Prosecutor Lauren Sangray said: "He made 18 calls to her on February 1, and on February 2, 15 calls were made to her.

"He continued to contact her in the following days. During the conversations, Trepkos repeatedly asked Miss Hastings to rekindle the relationship when he left prison."

Trepkos also asked her to remove her profiles from dating websites. He told her that he thinks about her "every morning and night" and that he was "unwell."

The High Court in Glasgow. (SNS Group)

Trepkos added that he collapsed due to the "stress" he was under. He would also ask what she was doing and who she was in contact with.

Miss Hasting would change the subject when the relationship was mentioned during their conversations. She then blocked his number before receiving the handwritten letter on February 14.

Miss Hastings contacted the police and officers attended his cell but he refused to leave. Ian Sievwright, defending, told the court that Trepkos handled the end of the one-year relationship "particularly badly."

The lawyer added: "There were reasons for the break up and the victim found herself in a new relationship with someone else which gave Mr Trepkos difficulty processing. He clearly dealt with that in an inappropriate manner."

Sheriff Tom Hughes told Trepkos, who appeared from custody, that a custodial sentence was inevitable due to the nature of the offending and his previous convictions.

He said: "It's quite clear this course of conduct cannot be tolerated. It's important that people who want to move on with their lives are not subjected to he harassment you subjected her to. It makes matters worse when you have been involved in things like this in the past."

A new five-year non-harassment order was granted as well as the prison sentence.

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