A man who obsessively monitored his wife’s every move – turning her life into what police described as “a misery” – has been jailed for five years. Charles Linsey, 30, of Brick Lane, Mepal, near Ely, tracked the victim using her phone, hidden tracking devices and cameras installed throughout their home, forcing her to spend most of her time confined to a single room to avoid being watched.
Linsey’s fixation began in 2022. At first, the victim agreed to a tracker on her phone in an attempt to reassure him, but his controlling behaviour rapidly escalated.
Without her knowledge, Linsey deleted colleagues and declined friend requests on her social media accounts. He secretly kept lists of her passwords and recorded the addresses she visited, logging how long she stayed at each location.
Linsey accessed her devices remotely, read private messages and photos, and installed a tracker on her car. Cameras placed inside and outside the property allowed him to monitor her constantly. When she tried to turn them away, he threatened to report her for criminal damage.
The victim eventually confided in friends and family and moved out in April. But Linsey continued to hack her WhatsApp account and was seen watching her over the fence at her new address.
In May, after spotting a friend at the victim’s home, Linsey became enraged. He banged on the door, shouted abuse and scratched the friend’s car. The victim dialled 999 and was taken by officers to stay with a relative.
Later that night, when she went to get a drink of water, she saw a silhouette at the window. Linsey was outside, shouting: “Where is she? Send her out.”
He then sent a barrage of abusive calls and messages. The victim also realised evidence she had spent almost two years gathering for a non-molestation order was disappearing from her phone. Linsey had been remotely accessing and deleting documents.
Linsey was arrested and officers searching his home found a firearm, knives and handwritten notes about hacking, coding and the victim.
At Cambridge Crown Court on Monday (22 December), Linsey was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship, and criminal damage. He was also handed an indefinite restraining order.
Detective Constable Billie Baker said: “This was one of the most complex cases of coercive control I had ever come across. The level to which the victim was watched, tracked and monitored had a clear and profound impact. Linsey made her life a misery.
“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and resilience throughout the investigative and court process. I hope this sentence gives her a sense of closure so she can begin to move forward with her life.”
Anyone concerned about domestic abuse, including coercive control, can find advice and support on Cambridgeshire Police’s dedicated webpages.
