Ex-cop 'beat love rival after catching wife having sex in Screwfix car park'
An ex-policeman accused of stalking his estranged wife before filming her having sex with a new partner in a Screwfix car park was attacked by the pair after they discovered they'd been rumbled, a court heard.
Gavin Harper is on trial accused of stalking Stephanie Glynn, a serving police officer, after he allegedly bugged her car and hacked into her Snapchat account. The ex-Merseyside Police cop is also accused of unlawful wounding of her new partner, Andrew McLullich, after catching them in the act.
During the trial at Liverpool crown court, it was heard Harper followed his wife on the night of February 16, 2021, bursting in on her having sex with acting inspector Andrew McLullich in the back of his Kia Sportage. Prosecution claimed he was holding up his mobile phone, and shouted at Mr McLullich "I've got you on film s****ing my wife" before grabbing him and punching him several times in the face.
But the jury in the trial was given a different version of events on Tuesday, hearing that it was McCullich who "flew into a rage" after being caught with his trousers down. Defence barrister Suzanne Payne said Mr McCullich turned around and "started punching Harper to the face" after the accused opened the car door.
The impact caused the defendant to fall back into the side of the Kia, Ms Payne said, before Mr McCullich got out, "stumbling because his pants were still around his ankles" then "lunged" at Harper. She told the court: "Harper did fight back, hitting him. Then Harper stopped fighting. He had no fight left in him. He started to take the punches."
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Gavin Harper is accused of stalking his estranged wife Ms Glynn (Liverpool Echo)Images of the defendant's facial injuries were shown in court, but his estranged wife suggested the wounds were "self-inflicted" as "that's the type of person he is". Ms Glynn testified, saying Mr McCullich did not try and fight back as Harper "punched him over and over".
But Ms Payne, for Harper, instead called this "rubbish", Liverpool ECHO reports. The barrister also disputed Ms Glynn's claims Harper then laid on the ground trying to remove a tracking device from her car, ensuing in a scuffle between the two men. She instead suggested that McCullich was in fact searching for Harper's phone, which he allegedly used to film the pair having sex in the car park.
Ms Payne said: "You (Glynn) were shouting 'get his phone, get his phone'. You were frantic to get Harper's phone because you knew that footage could seriously damage your careers. While Harper was on the floor, Mr McLullich continued to hit and kick him. Then you (Glynn) jumped in. You kicked him to the side."
Ms Glynn denied this, and maintained her earlier claims that she witnessed Harper hit Mr McLullich "at least twice" over the head with a torch. She said: "At the end of it he (Harper) had a tiny bit of blood on his forehead, but it wasn't dripping down his face like Andy's was... He had no injuries whatsoever."
Harper, from Wallasey, The Wirral, had been in a relationship with Ms Glynn for 10 years before their marriage became troubled in 2020. In October, Ms Glynn began chatting with Mr McLullich, who was also married, on WhatsApp and Snapchat, exchanging more than 900 messages in just two days. Harper noticed his wife had become distant and confronted her, but she denied the affair.
Harper allegedly followed Ms Glynn to the Screwfix car park in Birkenhead, Merseyside (Liverpool Echo)He stands accused of stalking Ms Glynn, causing serious alarm and distress, by bugging her car and allegedly following her to Bidston Hill, where the defence said she met with Mr McLullich. On December 15 2020 he took her mobile phone and downloaded her Snapchat history, revealing the dates and times she had been communicating with Mr McLullich.
He denied trapping Ms Glynn's arm in the window of his Ford Mondeo as she reached into the vehicle, attempting to snatch back her phone. He also denied driving away while her arm was inside, causing her to fall into the road.
It was said that a GPS tracker which Ms Glynn found on her car on December 20 had been placed there by Harper some time ago "purely for security reasons", and that he had a similar tracker on his own vehicle.
The court heard Ms Glynn only reported Harper's behaviour after Harper himself had contacted Merseyside Police and claimed she and Mr McLullich had been having sex while on duty. On January 17 2021, she texted a friend that she was "fuming" and "livid" with Harper as he had reported her to the Professional Standards Department. When her friend asked her if she would report Harper for stalking, she replied: "I don't want to but may have to if PSD come knocking."
Ms Payne said: "The only reason you were saying he's stalking you is because you knew PSD were going to get involved." She added: "You said you were harassed, that you were seriously alarmed by Harper's behaviour, to deflect from the assault that you knew Mr McLullich inflicted on him. You were worried about professional standards getting involved. You got in first because you caused these injuries and it was an attempt to deflect from the truth."
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Ms Glynn denied this. She said she did not report Harper initially because she wanted to protect him, and because she was scared of him. The trial continues.
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