An obsessive ex-boyfriend ‘planted bugs’ at his ex’s house and checked them 302 times while she was on a date with her new partner, before he ‘bludgeoned her to death’, a court has heard.
Sheldon Rodrigues, 30, allegedly spent most of his night shift listening in on his former partner Stephanie Hansen, 39, as she enjoyed a passionate date with her new boyfriend, Celcso Cabillan, on the night before she was murdered.
It was claimed that Rodrigues had remote access to the devices on his phone and was caught on CCTV checking and rechecking his handset and headphones when he was supposed to be working as a cargo agent at Heathrow Airport.
In one clip he is seen accessing the tiny camera he had buried in the carpet on the landing floor of the house they still shared, The Old Bailey heard.
Rodrigues then allegedly returned home from work on his electric bike in the early hours and waited for Mr Cabillan to leave before he stabbed and bludgeoned Ms Hansen to death, it was claimed.
Stephanie Hansen, 39, (pictured) had her obsessive ex-boyfriend bug their house, which they still shared together
Ms Hansen (pictured) was allegedly bludgeoned her to death by her ex-boyfriend, who denies murdering her
Then he set out to frame Mr Cabillan, jurors have heard.
Throughout his shift at work before the killing, Rodrigues – who denies murder – was seen on CCTV touching his earphones, putting his finger to his ear or adjusting his ear piece.
The jury heard how he would have one bud in his ear while he charged the other one so he could listen in constantly.
PC Chris Hough told the court he made 302 movements to his phone or headphones.
‘He would take one bud out to charge it and then switch,’ the officer said.
‘He would have one bud on the go, while the other was charging.
About the camera: ‘The camera was potentially placed in the middle of the landing on the floor.’
On 10 December 2022, less than three weeks before Ms Hansen was killed, Rodrigues was stopped by police for following her boyfriend Celcso Cabillan in a friend’s car.
Rodrigues – of Willenhall Drive, Hayes, west London – was in the passenger seat of the car, with the friend driving him and the driver’s children in the back of the car.
The driver and Rodrigues had waited for Mr Cabillan to leave work at Heathrow airport before tailing him.
Mr Cabillan was so alarmed that he called the police and gave them the registration number.
When police questioned Rodrigues he said: ‘(We were) looking for a nice place to eat with the kids and it must have been a misunderstanding.’
Rodrigues and Ms Hansen both worked as cargo agents at Heathrow and briefly been in a relationship in 2014.
Forensics combing the scene for clues after Ms Hansen was found dead on New Year’s Eve last year
Police cars rushed to he home where Ms Hansen was found dead on New Year’s Eve 2022
The court has heard how Rodrigues had become ‘obsessed’ with Ms Hansen and refused the idea that they should be nothing more than friends.
He then allegedly returned home from work at 6:49am to attack Ms Hansen, who was found naked from the waist down in her bloodstained pyjamas.
The court heard that the stabbing was so brutal that the knife slipped out of his hand, badly cutting Rodrigues. He was later seen on CCTV buying bandages, for a cut he claimed he got from ‘doing some household work.’
Mr Cabillan had gone to the house when his messages to Ms Hansen were unanswered and was seen banging on the door for half an hour before he went back to his home in Feltham.
It was then claimed that Rodrigues spent over 24 hours in the house with Ms Hansen’s lifeless body before he called an ambulance, trying to pin the blame on Mr Cabillan.
Ms Hansen was found dead on December 31 last year.
In the call to the operator, Rodrigues said: ‘I have just found my housemate’s body. I have just been in her room. I have found her dead in there.
‘I think her boyfriend has done something to her. He stayed here two nights ago. There is blood spattered all over the room as well.’
The trial continues.
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