Jail for Cambridge stalker who set ex's car on fire and threatened to 'mutilate her for life'

A stalker who sent his former girlfriend a barrage of threatening messages before setting her car on fire has been jailed for three years.

Liviu Groparu, 38, from Peveral Road, Cambridge, tricked the victim into thinking she was being targeted by someone else.

The victim started receiving threatening messages from numerous unknown phone numbers and Facebook accounts just days after her relationship with Groparu ended in November 2022.

Her parents also received an anonymous message containing abuse about their daughter.

Groparu even phoned them to say he was afraid for the victim and that something bad might happen to her due to these "dangerous people".

On 8 December, at about 5.30pm, while the victim was at home, she received a message telling her to go outside as there was a surprise for her.

At about the same time, Groparu called the victim asking if anything had happened to her or her car, as he claimed he had received a message saying “your princess has a surprise on her car”.

When she went outside her tyres had been slashed.

A couple of days later, the victim received another message from an unknown number, stating she had destroyed Groparu’s life.

The message added the tyre incident was “a warning” and threatened to burn her “without hesitation” if she went to the police.

The victim’s parents also received another message suggesting their daughter would be “mutilated for life” and “no one would love her anymore”.

Later that day, while she was at a friend’s house, the victim’s brother called her to say he had received a message to say his sister’s car was on fire.

The victim ran outside and saw firefighters tackling flames coming from her car at a nearby carpark.

Police investigations revealed that Groparu was the was responsible, and had been behind all the anonymous calls and messages.

Groparu denied the charges of two counts of stalking, arson and criminal damage, but was found guilty of all counts following a trial earlier this year.

On Wednesday at Huntingdon Law Courts, Groparu was sentenced to three years in prison and handed a five-year restraining order.

Detective Sergeant Kenny Reeves said: "Groparu’s actions left his victim feeling frightened and it was a traumatic experience for her and her family to go through.

“Groparu manipulated the victim so he could persistently stalk and harass her and believed this would enable him to frighten her into rekindling the relationship.

"Stalking can be a terrifying experience and leave victims feeling isolated and frightened."

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