Jealous lover who mugged at partner’s home faces jail Achi-News

Glasgow High Court heard that during their relationship Querns accused his partner of infidelity, shouted and swore at her, physically pushed and pinned her down, and monitored her mobile phone and social media accounts.

Towards the end of their relationship his partner became suspicious that he was listening in on her private conversations and reported the matter to the police.

During a search of her home, four listening devices were found hidden inside wall sockets, two in the living room, one in her bedroom, and one in the kitchen.

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Querns’ DNA was on two of the devices, and police found SIM cards similar to those inside the devices during a subsequent search of his home in Glasgow.

Judge Lady Drummond told Querns: “You have a criminal record. Your offenses have not been domestic but they have been serious enough for you to have been sent to prison before.

“The offenses before me are serious matters, having been committed over a period of time.”

He asked for a report to be drawn up before sentencing, which will take place on September 5 at Edinburgh High Court.

Brau, dressed in a blue suit, showed no emotion as he was led from the courtroom.

Darren Querns will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh (Image: PA)

During the hearing the court heard that Querns met his partner in 2016 when she was only 15 years old, and around 12 years younger than him.

The court heard that they often argued, with Querns accusing her of infidelity, shouting and swearing at her, and physically pushing and pinning her.

The court heard that on one occasion while they were staying in a hotel in Glasgow, hotel staff had to remove Querns after becoming aggressive towards her, shouting and swearing, throwing items across the room and smashing glass, with some of them breaking his partner.

The court heard that he continued to shout at her as he was led away down the corridor of the hotel.

The Deputy Advocate explained that Querns’ partner became suspicious in 2023 that he was listening to her private conversations.

On February 16 2023 Querns sent a Facebook message to his partner’s mother saying she had “manipulated him and everyone else”, and sent two recordings of her talking to someone to prove it.

Seeing that these calls contained “private information” the mother became “concerned about how she had been able to get them” and contacted her daughter to let her know.

This suspicion came to light during an exchange of messages on Facebook in early August 2023.

On August 5 Querns’ partner saw a message on Facebook about how he had bought a new car, and she replied with a message asking how she could afford a car but couldn’t afford to pay for the child they had together, who lived with him she

In response he referred to the contents of a private conversation he had, which he knew he could not have known about had he not been spying on her.

The Deputy Advocate explained that she then used a “butter knife to unscrew the wall socket” in her bedroom, and she had noticed that there was a red light in it.

He continued: “She found a device and a SIM card, then contacted the police.”

She told the court that a search of her home found four listening devices with SIM cards, two in her living room, one behind the headboard in her bedroom, and one in the kitchen.

He explained that the devices activate automatically if the volume goes above a certain level, and that “a phone call can be made to the SIM which will activate the device, providing an open mic.”

He added: “DNA matching the accused was found in two of the devices,” and that a search of Querns’ home found SIM cards similar to those found in the devices.

Querns pleaded guilty to threatening or abusive behavior and engaging in a course of behavior that was abusive to his partner or former partner.

He pleaded not guilty to two other charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Explosive Substances Act, which the crown accepted.

Querns, who remains on remand, will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on September 5.