By RICHARD MARSDEN, GENERAL REPORTER

Published: 13:03 GMT, 31 December 2025 | Updated: 13:08 GMT, 31 December 2025

A possessive artist broke into his ex-fiancee's home, daubed love hearts on the driveway in green paint and tried following her on holiday during a ‘quite despicable’ stalking campaign, a court heard. 

Barry Mulroney, 66, has been jailed after a judge condemned his obsessive behaviour.

A court heard Mulroney had been living with nursing assistant Mandy Walker, 58, at her home and the pair were engaged but when she called time on the relationship, he could not accept it was over.

After Ms Walker said she no longer wanted him living with her, he turned up her house unwanted, threw stones at her window and used his expertise as a locksmith to sneak back inside without her knowledge.

During a clandestine visit, Mulroney checked the name of an Egyptian resort hotel she was due to stay in with friends before secretly booking himself a room there. She subsequently cancelled the £1,800 trip and booked to go to Turkey instead- but he tracked her there too.

Police charged Mulroney after Ms Walker realised he had snatched back her engagement ring during the break in and also stole 140 US Dollars, eight bikini bottoms, a house key and a set of 18-carat gold pearl earrings. Inquiries revealed he had a previous conviction for stalking a former girlfriend who broke up with him.

At Bolton Crown Court, Mulroney, from Hampton, Malpas, Cheshire was jailed for three years after he admitted stalking and burglary, and made subject of an indefinite restraining order.

Barry Mulroney, 68, whose behaviour has been condemned as 'quite despicable' by a judge

Even while in the dock before sentence, he made heart shapes with his fingers at Ms Walker and mouthed ‘I love you’' as she prepared to give a statement telling how she no longer felt safe leaving her home due his obsessive behaviour.

She also provided 1,442 pages of chat logs in which she repeatedly told Mulroney to leave her alone - plus a recording of a phone call in which she confronted him about the break in to which he responded: ‘I'll find you wherever you go. It's not that difficult.’

The court heard the pair began dating in September 2023 and by November 2024 and he moved in her despite her expressing reluctance.

During the relationship, Mulroney claimed to have spent £29,000 renovating Mrs Walker's home which included the purchase of a £4,000 bed and took her on a string of holidays.

But when she called time on their romance, he sent her unwanted emails and texts and used spray paint to create the love hearts which were not only sprayed over her driveway but also the pavements and roads outside her home.

After he burgled the house in June this year and Ms Walker returned home to find the power off, she initially thought there had been a power cut but the next morning found various items missing and realised the electric switch board had been tampered with.