‘I was quite frantic’: Court told of a tussle between Jennifer Cruz Cole and an intruder who was allegedly hired by her ex Sean Buckley

Jennifer Cruz Cole screamed when she found an intruder in her laundry and begged her boyfriend for help – but a court has heard the man was hired by her partner to stalk her.

Ultra Tune owner Sean Buckley and then girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole.

The model ex-girlfriend of Ultra Tune boss Sean Buckley pleaded with him to call police when she discovered an intruder in her home, not knowing he had allegedly hired the man to stalk her, a court has heard.

Mr Buckley, 62, is facing a committal hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, having pleaded not guilty to charges including stalking, assault, recklessly causing injury and making threats to kill.

Jennifer Cruz Cole, 35, on Thursday recounted to the court the moment she returned to her apartment in July 2020 to fetch an umbrella and noticed someone was hiding in her laundry.

“At that point, I realised that there was someone in my f--king house,” she said.

Jennifer Cruz Cole and Sean Buckley during their relationship.

Ms Cole was video calling Mr Buckley, who she was dating at the time, when she made the discovery and repeatedly told him to “call 911”.

The bikini model said she then screamed at the man: “What the f--k are you doing in my house?”

“I was quite frantic,” she told the court.

Ms Cole detailed how she “forcefully tussled” with the man, which she believes caused her bracelet to be “ripped” from her arm, before he ran out of her apartment.

Co-accused Wade D’Andrea, 40, who is also facing the same committal hearing, is one of the men allegedly hired by the car repair magnate to stalk Ms Cole over a number of months.

The prosecution claims it was Mr D’Andrea inside the laundry, who was retrieving a listening device which had been planted inside her home.

Ms Cole has described her ‘tussle’ with the intruder. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Ms Cole told the court she believed Mr Buckley was keeping her under surveillance because he wanted to know if she was cheating on him, since they were considering getting married.

She also accused Mr Buckley of threatening to kill her while holding a butter knife, when the pair were in a Crown Towers apartment on September 5, 2020.

The court was on Tuesday played shocking audio of Mr Buckley allegedly assaulting Ms Cole months earlier at Crown Towers, in which she can be heard begging the “evil monster” to stop.

The 20-minute recording was aired for the first time in court, with Mr Buckley heard accusing Ms Cole of interfering in a dispute which he says could send him to jail.

He then discovered she was secretly recording their conversation on her phone.

Thumps, which Ms Cole alleges are sounds made by Mr Buckley punching her in the face about 10 times, can be heard while Ms Cole screeches “stop it” and begins to cry.

Magistrate Andrew McKenna will determine at the conclusion of the hearing whether there is sufficient evidence to commit the two men to stand trial.

The committal hearing continues.