Ultra Tune boss Sean Buckley accused of bugging ex-wife’s home

Sean Buckley’s furious ex-wife chased an associate around her home after allegedly catching him collecting listening devices, a court has heard.

Ultra Tune magnate Sean Buckley with then-wife Jennifer Cruz Cole.

Bikini model Jennifer Cruz Cole allegedly caught an associate of her ex-husband, Ultra Tune magnate Sean Buckley, “red-handed” in her Melbourne home collecting hidden listening devices, a court has heard.

Mr Buckley, 61, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with 12 offences relating to allegations of assault and stalking Ms Cole, as well as installing and monitoring listening devices in her apartment.

The court heard there were recordings in evidence of Mr Buckley and co-accused Wade D’Andrea installing the illegal devices.

Prosecutor JJ Jassar said police would allege Mr D’Andrea was later “caught red-handed with them”.

“He had gone into the apartment to collect them and the complainant came home and found him there,” Mr Jassar said.

“A chase ensued and he was apprehended by two other people that were in the premises.”

Sean Buckley and Jennifer Cruz Cole in happier days.

The bikini model is separated from the Ultra Tune boss.

Mr D’Andrea, 40, is charged with four counts of stalking and one of maintaining a listening device and is due to front court on February 2.

Police allege Mr Buckley had Mr D’Andrea keep Ms Cole under surveillance between April 27 and December 2, 2020, following their separation.

The couple, who have a daughter together, had been in a relationship for about three years.

Lawyer Remy van der Wiel, QC, for Mr Buckley, told the court the case had not resolved as they continued to work through the voluminous brief of evidence.

He said they had requested police hand over all recordings seized, including those that captured Ms Cole’s private conversations.

But Mr Jassar said they would only be providing the recordings relevant to the case, including a recording from Ms Cole’s phone from when she lived with Mr Buckley and he threatened to kill her.

“That has been provided,” he said.

“But private conversations of … illegal recordings off a device installed at the complainant’s house will not be provided.”

The couple was in a relationship for three years and had a daughter.

Mr van der Wiel argued the private conversations of Ms Cole were relevant to their defence, in particular to whether she was in fear of his client.

“There is a child involved – there is a serious suggestion about the health of Ms Cole,” Mr van der Wiel said.

“We have a real concern, obviously, in terms of what has occurred between Ms Cole, the child, and other people to indicate a lifestyle and the situation of fear.”

Mr Jassar said the move was “fanciful”.

“This is not a defence to installation of devices or a charge of stalking,” he said.

Magistrate Timothy Gattuso also struggled to find the relevance of the private conversations to the case.

“Unless there is something specific like ‘I’m not afraid of him’ … how can that be used to say they are not in fear?”

Ms Cole had logged in to the virtual hearing but did not say anything.

The case was adjourned for a further contest mention next month.