A JEALOUS woman who waged a “surveillance operation” against her police officer ex-boyfriend and his new lover has been jailed for 18 months.

Rachel Barnes was rebuffed by the officer after their casual relationship ended in December 2020, and proceeded to stalk him, his new girlfriend and her housemate over a period of at least three months.

The former Gogglebox researcher set up fake social media accounts falsely reported the couple for Covid rule breaches and even posed as a delivery driver.

The case, which had started on Friday afternoon before being adjourned for the weekend, was too serious to result in anything other than an immediate prison sentence, Judge Peter Crabtree OBE told Barnes on Monday morning.

READ MORE: Victims of Rachel Barnes stalking speak of feeling trapped

He labelled it a “serious case” and added: “I have no doubt your intention was to cause much more than some fear and was characterised by a high degree of planning.

“You researched your victims, conducted extensive surveillance of her and her home. In addition, you created a fake Instagram account, sought information from [her housemate], and attended her home on two occasions.

“You continued to stalk [the officer’s new girlfriend] in breach of bail conditions. It was certainly persistent and obsessive.”

The police constable, based at Gablecross police station, met 27-year-old Barnes on the Hinge dating app in October 2020, and both agreed that they didn’t want a serious relationship, the court had previously heard.

But in December, the officer broke it off and told Barnes that he thought it best they stopped talking.

Judge Crabtree said she continued to contact him, and he replied to some hoping she would get the message.

However, in the following month, the PC started a new relationship with a local police investigator at Gablecross that they had kept secret.

“[He] would park his car in her road and walk to her house,” Judge Crabtree continued. “After one walk, [the police officer] received a snapchat message from you saying, ‘Well it was nice to see you with someone else’.”

Then began a three-month-long stalking campaign, which involved her being located in the Faringdon area, where all three victims lived, on almost 400 occasions.

She befriended the new girlfriend’s housemate on Facebook and Instagram, with whom she had gone to University, claiming she was starting a new job at Gablecross.

Then followed at least two separate reports to Thames Valley Police that the officer’s girlfriend had been breaching Covid regulations – including that he had been seen at her address.

Despite being arrested in early February with bail conditions not to go to either Gablecross police station or the Faringdon area, Barnes, of Gas Lane, Cricklade, she was twice found in the car park at the Swindon police station.

As a result of the stalking, the officer’s new girlfriend said she felt nervous taking her daughter to the park, had stopped going for runs or walks, and was scared to go to the windows of her home in case Barnes was looking in.

“She must have followed me at some point to find out where I live,” she told the court on Friday, adding that she had bought a Ring doorbell camera, had felt paranoid and that her boyfriend felt guilty for bringing Barnes into her life.

“I felt so trapped,” she said. “Rachel has found my social media, my workplace and now my house.”

Judge Crabtree jailed Barnes, who had previously pleaded guilty, for 18 months for the most serious offence of stalking the woman.

She was given one month in custody for stalking her housemate, and two months for stalking the police officer.

An indefinite restraining order preventing her from contacting all three victims, or attending addresses where they may be, was granted.

There was no order to pay costs or compensation, but she will have to pay a victim surcharge.

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