Obsessive ex-boyfriend ‘planted bugs at his ex’s house and checked them 302 times as she enjoyed passionate date with new man before he went to the house and bludgeoned her to death’, court hears

An obsessed ex-boyfriend “planted bugs” in his ex’s home and checked them 302 times while she was on a date with her new partner before he “beat her to death”, a court has heard.

Sheldon Rodriguez, 30, allegedly spent much of his night shift eavesdropping on his ex-partner Stephanie Hansen, 39, as she enjoyed a passionate tryst with her new boyfriend Celso Cabillan the night before her murder.

It was alleged Rodriguez had remote access to devices on his phone and was caught on CCTV checking and cross-checking his phone and headphones while he was due to work as a cargo agent at Heathrow Airport.

In one clip he is seen retrieving a tiny camera he had buried in the carpet on the first floor of the house they were still living in, The Old Bailey heard.

Rodriguez then allegedly returned home from work on his electric bike in the early morning and waited for Mr. Cabillan to leave before he stabbed and beat Ms. Hansen to death, it was alleged.

Stephanie Hansen, 39, (pictured) forced her obsessed ex-boyfriend to bug the home they still shared together.

Ms Hansen (pictured) was allegedly beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend, who denies killing her.

He then intended to blame Cabillan, the jury heard.

Throughout his shift at work before the killing, Rodriguez, who denies murder, was seen on CCTV touching his headphones, putting a finger to his ear or adjusting an earpiece.

Jurors heard how he kept one earpiece in his ear and charged the other so he could constantly eavesdrop.

PC Chris Hough told the court he made 302 movements on his phone or headphones.

“He would take one earbud out to charge it and then switch it,” the officer said.

“He had one earbud in motion while the other was charging.

About the camera: “The camera could potentially be placed in the middle of the area on the floor.”

On December 10, 2022, less than three weeks before Ms. Hansen was killed, Rodriguez was stopped by police for following her boyfriend, Celcho Cabillan, in a friend’s car.

Rodriguez, of Willenhall Drive, Hayes, west London, was in the passenger seat of the car, his friend was driving and the driver’s children were in the back seat.

The driver and Rodriguez waited for Cabillan to leave work at Heathrow Airport before tracking him down.

Mr. Kabillan was so alarmed that he called the police and gave them the registration number.

When police questioned Rodriguez, he said, “(We were) looking for a good place to eat with the kids and it must have been a misunderstanding.”

Rodriguez and Ms Hansen both worked as freight agents at Heathrow and dated briefly in 2014.

Forensics officers are combing the scene for clues after Ms Hansen was found dead on New Year’s Eve last year

Police cars rushed to the house where Ms Hansen was found dead on New Year’s Eve 2022.

The court heard how Rodrigues became “obsessed” with Ms Hansen and abandoned the idea that they should be anything more than friends.

He then allegedly returned home from work at 6.49am to attack Ms Hansen, who was found topless in bloodstained pajamas.

The court heard the stabbing was so brutal that the knife slipped from his hand, severely cutting Rodriguez. He was later seen on CCTV buying bandages for a cut he said he got from “doing some work around the house”.

Mr Kabillan went to the house when his messages to Ms Hansen went unanswered and he was seen knocking on the door for half an hour before returning to his home in Feltham.

It was then alleged that Rodriguez spent more than 24 hours in the house with Ms Hansen’s lifeless body before he called an ambulance in an attempt to pin the blame on Mr Cabillan.

Ms Hansen was found dead on December 31 last year.

During a call to the operator, Rodriguez said, “I just found my housemate’s body. I was just in her room. I found her there dead.

“I think her boyfriend did something to her. He stayed here two nights ago. There is also blood splattered all over the room.”

The trial continues.