The manager of Alton Fire Station appeared in Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on February 24 for sentencing after being convicted of assault by battery and stalking without fear.

Ian Crawley, 55, of Malthouse Mews, Hartley Wintney, committed the offences against his 62-year-old wife Adela Crawley while they were living as together at Windmill Hill in Alton. He was convicted at a trial in December last year.

Crawley, who had no previous convictions, was given an 18-month community order which included a requirement to carry out 150 hours of community service and attend 12 rehabilitation sessions.

He was ordered to pay £864 in court costs within 28 days and the judge imposed a two-year restraining order preventing him going to Adela Crawley’s home or her place of work.

Speaking after the sentencing, Adela’s younger daughter Alicia House, 30, claimed Crawley placed an Apple AirTag device - commonly used to help people find their keys, bags or other items - in his wife’s car in order to stalk her. This began in March 2024.

Alicia said: “At first she found it in a first aid kit in the glove box. Later she discovered it again, sewn into the back of a teddy bear left in the boot.”

The assault offence occurred in 2023 while Adela was at home in Windmill Hill recovering from a hip replacement operation.

Again speaking after the sentencing, Alicia said: “He came home one day and mum was on her mobile phone. He grabbed it off of her, said ‘What are you doing on the phone?’ and threw it smack on the operation wound on her right hip.”

Adela met Ian at work in 2010. He proposed in 2011 and they got married in 2012.

Alicia said: “When they started dating it was very intense - dinners, weekends away, a holiday to Cuba. He love-bombed her.”