A Hobart man deliberately downloaded and set up an online application that gave him control over the stop and start function of his ex-girlfriend's car and allowed him to track her movements, a court has heard.

Keypoints: A Hobart man pleaded guilty to using an app to control his ex-partner's car

A Hobart man pleaded guilty to using an app to control his ex-partner's car The man also entered the woman's home at night and stood by her bed

The man also entered the woman's home at night and stood by her bed The crown prosecutor described his behaviour as "premeditated and calculated"

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty in the Magistrates Court in Hobart to stalking his ex-girlfriend last year.

The two had dated for six months.

"I was in shock and fear for my life when I realised he was stalking me and had control of my car," she told the court.

"What he did is despicable and I am still trying to come to terms with the scope of violation and trauma I have experienced."

The court heard the mechanic had made a "concerted attempt" to monitor his ex-partner's movements both by "physical covert surveillance" and "review of data".

It was also revealed he had helped his victim to buy a Land Rover and as a consequence had access to the vehicle's VIN, which allowed him to set up the app.

Unbeknownst to the victim, the app sent him live information about her movements to his email account and enabled him to remotely control the car.

The man could turn the car on and off as well as control the windows. ( Supplied: Unsplash )

He also bought spyware and paid a monthly fee to monitor her phone location.

Victim now fearful of technology

The victim, who works in the field of digital technology, said she had no idea that she was so vulnerable.

"I am passionate about how technology can save and improve lives and have dedicated the last decade of my career to working on digitally driven change programs," she told the court.

"As a professional working in the industry, it has shaken me to learn what the offender did to my car is even possible. As a victim it has caused trauma so deep that it's hard to adequately describe.

"These crimes have made me feel unsafe. Made me fear the technology I once embraced and left me with a deep distrust of the cybersecurity protections and laws currently in place, now I know they can be exploited."

Man appeared by her bed during the night

The court heard the woman became fearful and concerned for her safety when she woke up one night to find the man standing at the foot of her bed.

She told the court he had stood in silence for what "seemed like an eternity" before telling her in a low quiet voice "you're lucky it's just me and not a robber or a bad person to do you harm".

The man, who was working for the RACT at the time, had used clients' cars to stalk her, the court also heard.

The victim only became aware that her ex-boyfriend had been tracking her for months when her mobile phone went missing from her car and she used her laptop to try and see if it had been used.

When she tried to log into her account, his email opened up revealing the data he was being sent and also that he had downloaded maps of her work place, including where she parked her car.

"When I told [my colleagues] that a man was stalking me and had control of my car, they looked at me like I had lost my mind," she told the court.

"I was in shock and fear for my life when I realised he was stalking me and had control of my car. I had no phone to call for help and I didn't want to tip him off that I was on to him, so I borrowed a phone and called my father.

"I was filled with a mix of emotions — fear, anger, shame, disbelief and sheer terror of what he would do next."

She told the court the "only thing I did know was that I was in serious danger and that only the police could protect me from him".

A notebook recovered by police from the man's Old Beach home contained the victim's personal details, including the dates of training courses she was planning to attend, and a list of places, including businesses, she frequented.

There was also a list of weapons and costings.

Stalking crimes taken more seriously

Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Avery described his behaviour as "premeditated and calculated".

A change in legislation means stalking matters are now heard in the Supreme Court — something Ms Avery said showed the seriousness of these types of crimes.

The court was also told the charge of stalking meant the offender's name should be placed on the community protection register for up to 15 years, unless the magistrate was convinced there was no risk of re-offending.

A search of the man's house uncovered information about events the woman was to attend. ( Supplied: Unsplash )

The offender's lawyer will make her submissions on the type of sentence he should receive when the case comes back before the court in December, but she successfully applied for him to be assessed for his suitability for a community-based sentencing order.