‘Violent and controlling’ man who bugged his partner’s home is jailed

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A “violent and controlling” man who planted hidden microphones in his then partner’s home so he could eavesdrop on her conversations has been jailed for more than two years.

Darren Querns, from Glasgow, admitted physically and verbally abusing his victim between 2016 and 2023.

At a previous hearing, Glasgow High Court was told that during their relationship Querns accused his partner of infidelity, shouted and swore at her, physically pushed her 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 to her private conversations and reported the matter to the police.

A search of her home uncovered four listening devices hidden inside wall sockets – two in the living room, one in her bedroom, and one in the kitchen.

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

Querns pleaded guilty to two charges at the High Court in Glasgow in July.

He was jailed for 27 months at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday and will be supervised for 12 months following his release, the Crown Office said.

Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “Darren Querns is a violent and controlling abuser who has inflicted unimaginable trauma.

“His calculating actions left his victim living in fear in her own home where she should have been safe.

“We hope this conviction brings some comfort to all those affected by his despicable behaviour.

“COPFS remains committed to prosecuting crimes of violence and domestic abuse, which are an unacceptable blight on our communities.

“I would encourage all victims or witnesses of similar offending to come forward, report their experiences and seek support.”

A non-harassment order, banning Querns from contacting or attempting to contact his victim, has been granted for an indefinite period.

During the previous hearing in July, the court heard that Querns met his partner in 2016 and she was about 12 years younger than him.

The court was told that they argued frequently, with Querns accusing her of infidelity, shouting and swearing at her, and physically pushing her.

On one occasion, while they were staying in a Glasgow hotel, Querns had to be removed by hotel staff after becoming aggressive towards her, shouting and swearing, throwing items across the room and smashing glass, some of which cut his partner.

In 2023, Querns’ partner became suspicious he was listening in to her private conversations, the court heard.

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

As these calls contained “private information”, the mother became “concerned about how he had been able to obtain them” and contacted her daughter to alert her, the court was told.

This suspicion came to a head during an exchange of messages between Querns and his ex-partner when he referred to the contents of a private conversation she had had.

She then used a butter knife to unscrew the wall socket in her bedroom, which she had noticed had a red light in it.

Having found a device and SIM card she then contacted the police.