Police officer who saw his wife having sex in Screwfix car park was attacked as lover 'went into a frenzy' while his pants were still round his ankles, court told

A senior police officer 'flew into a rage' and attacked his PC lover's estranged husband after he caught them having sex in a Screwfix car park, a defence barrister told a jury.

Ex-cop Gavin Harper is accused of stalking his estranged wife, serving constable Stephanie Glynn, with jurors told he bugged her car, took her phone, hacked into her social media and downloaded her Snapchat history following the breakdown of their relationship in 2020.

He is also accused of unlawfully wounding Ms Glynn's new partner, acting Inspector Andrew McLullich, after Mr Harper caught the pair having sex in a Screwfix car park on February 16 2021.

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At his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, the former Merseyside cop's barrister, Suzanne Payne, alleged to the jury a different version of events.

She said: "When Harper opened the back door of the car, Mr McLullich realised what was happening and he flew into a rage. He turned around and he started punching Harper to the face, so much so that Harper fell backwards into the side of the car. Then Mr McLullich got out of the car, stumbling because his pants were still around his ankles, and when he pulled them up he lunged at Harper," reports The Echo.

"Harper did fight back, hitting him. Then Harper stopped fighting. He had no fight left in him. He started to take the punches."

Pictures of Harper's badly bruised and bloodied face were shown to the jury. But his estranged wife Ms Glynn said: "I would suggest they are self inflected because that's the type of person he is."

Barrister Ms Payne said Ms Glynn's testimony, in which she stated Mr McLullich did not attempt to fight back or escape as Harper "punched him over