Ultra Tune boss Sean Buckley allegedly kept model girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole under surveillance

New details have emerged of how Ultra Tune magnate Sean Buckley allegedly installed a camera pointing at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment door in Melbourne.

Sean Buckley’s ex-girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole.

High-flying Ultra Tune magnate Sean Buckley secretly rented the Melbourne apartment next door to his bikini model ex-girlfriend so he could keep her under surveillance, a court has heard.

Mr Buckley, 61, is facing 12 charges over a seven-month stalking campaign against Jennifer Cruz Cole from April 27 to December 2, 2020.

Further details of the allegations levelled against the multi-millionaire businessman were aired in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday as his former manager, Anthony Swords, pleaded guilty to installing a camera outside Ms Cole’s home.

The court heard on July 1, Mr Buckley rented an apartment next to Ms Cole’s Exhibition St home, but the racehorse owner put it in the name of his veterinarian, Adam Matthews.

It’s alleged Sean Buckley secretly rented the Melbourne apartment next door to his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole to keep her under surveillance.

“The prosecution allege this apartment … was being utilised by Mr Buckley, in order to stalk and keep the victim under surveillance,” prosecutor JJ Jassar told the court.

Mr Buckley allegedly enlisted Swords — a former Mick Gatto associate who helped manage his Ultra Racing thoroughbreds company — to install a camera on the door of the rented apartment, pointing it towards Ms Cole’s door, on December 2.

Swords, 43, told police Mr Buckley gave him $1500 to purchase a smart wireless camera from Bunnings.

“He wanted this camera to find out who was going in and out of her apartment,” Swords said.

“He thought she was screwing someone.”

Swords, who has a family to support, said he was told he would lose his job if he didn’t install the camera.

“I put my hand up — I did the wrong thing,” he said.

Sean Buckley’s former manager Anthony Swords pleaded guilty to installing a camera outside Ms Cole’s home. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Fining him $1000, magistrate Therese McCarthy said his role in what was a family violence matter must be condemned.

“It’s a little hard to think about the idea of putting a camera up outside a woman’s apartment, being in any way acceptable behaviour,” Ms McCarthy said.

“Stalking is a terrible, terrible crime and to be any part of any kind of stalking of any person in the community, is something that the court must convey, in the strongest possible terms, complete abhorrence of.

“It has lifelong consequences, and many victims of stalking tell this court that they can never get out of their mind that someone isn’t following them or keeping them under surveillance.”

The court heard a day after the camera was installed, Ms Cole saw it and used a hammer to remove it.

Ms Cole wrote a letter to the court in support of Swords, saying he had reached out to her and apologised.

The court also heard Mr Buckley had hired two men — one being Wade D’Andrea, 40, who has been charged — to stalk Ms Cole from April 27 to July 3, 2020.

Mr Jassar said the two men were “actively following Cole, and liaising with Buckley and informing him of her movements”.

On June 22, Mr D’Andrea allegedly purchased USB voice recorders, a Wi-Fi camera and a micro SD card, planting them in Ms Cole’s car and apartment eight days later.

But on July 3, Ms Cole caught Mr D’Andrea retrieving the devices inside her apartment, and when he tried to flee with her phone he was captured by the concierge and tradesmen working in the building.

The criminal cases against Mr Buckley and Mr D’Andrea return to court later this month.

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