Engineer, 40, urinated on his psychiatrist ex-wife’s vegetable patch and stole her pet dogs

An engineer urinated on his ex-wife's vegetable patch and stole her pet dogs when they split, a court heard today.

Ben Campbell, 40, is accused of stalking Dr Hollie Hearfield, 39, during a five-month campaign of harassment last year.

Magistrates in Wrexham were told the couple had been married for 11 years before splitting ‘acrimoniously.'

On July 24 last year Campbell allegedly trashed Dr Hearfield's vegetable patch at her home in the pretty village of Gresford, near Wrexham, north Wales, by urinating on it. He is accused of returning to the property three days later to steal her black Labrador, named Hercules.

Campbell, a former company director, of Higher Lanes, Iscoyd, near Whitchurch, also allegedly stole his estranged wife's other pet, another dog named Persephone, in October.

On July 24 last year Campbell allegedly trashed Dr Hearfield's vegetable patch at her home in the pretty village of Gresford

Prosecutor Shane Maddocks said: ‘Hollie Hearfield was married to the defendant for 11 years and lives in Gresford with four children. Since June 25 there has been a series of unwanted contact from him.

‘The defendant has messaged the victim stating he would, ‘turn up whenever I like.' There is quite a lengthy history (between them).'

Smartly-dressed Campbell denies four allegations, including stalking and causing serious alarm or distress to Dr Hearfield ‘which had a substantial adverse effect on her usual day-to-day activities'; criminal damage to her vegetable patch and two counts of theft relating to her dogs.

Mr Maddocks applied for Campbell to be the subject of conditional bail, but this was refused by the magistrates after Euros Jones, defending, pointed out that Campbell had been on bail with no conditions since January 15, when he was summonsed by post to appear in court, and there had been no breaches of bail since that date.

Magistrates granted Campbell unconditional bail and the case was adjourned until May 31 when it will be next heard at Mold Crown Court. The father-of-four is likely to face trial later on in the year.

Prosecutor Shane Maddocks said: ‘Hollie Hearfield (pictured) was married to the defendant for 11 years and lives in Gresford with four children

The couple married at St John the Baptist Church, in Chester, in May 2012, but separated last year.

Mr Jones added: ‘This is an acrimonious ending of a relationship.'

According to LinkedIn, Dr Hearfield is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who graduated from Manchester University's medical school in June 2009.

She is a specialist in autism and ADHD in women and also works as a lecturer at Chester University.