Abusive ex used Tesla to control and harass former partner

Published: 09 September 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A Sydney woman endured years of domestic abuse before discovering that her former partner could remotely control her Tesla, manipulating the vehicle’s speed, temperature, locks and other functions to intimidate and harass her after their relationship ended.

The woman, identified by the pseudonym Stacey, had already experienced four years of alleged abuse by her former partner, Enrico Pucci, before the technology in her electric vehicle became another tool of control.

Court documents presented to police detailed how the 78-year-old? No — Stacey’s age was not disclosed — became increasingly frightened after her Tesla alarm sounded repeatedly in the middle of the night in late 2025. At the time, she was afraid to go outside because she believed Pucci might be damaging the vehicle.

When she inspected the car the following morning, there appeared to be no physical damage. However, she noticed that the vehicle’s electronic dashboard had been reset and that a parental-control profile had been added.

The discovery became more alarming several days later when Pucci allegedly followed Stacey while she was driving and confronted her about another man she was dating. According to police records, he told her: “You thought you’d get away with this. I am in your car. I am in your maps.”

Stacey subsequently discovered that the parental-control profile, which she could not access, gave its user extensive control over the vehicle.

The controls included the ability to restrict the Tesla’s speed, adjust its climate settings, operate its locks and establish curfew hours that determined when the vehicle could be driven.

Police documents said that between 6 and 12 November 2025, Pucci repeatedly changed the temperature inside the vehicle, switching it between extremely cold and extremely hot settings.

The documents also alleged that he activated Valet Mode, which restricted the vehicle’s speed to 40km per hour. Investigators said this created significant safety concerns for Stacey while she was driving.

According to the police records, Stacey had effectively lost control of her own vehicle after discovering the unauthorised parental-control profile on 1 November 2025.

Investigators alleged that Pucci was the only person with access to the vehicle’s controls through the Tesla application.

The use of connected-car technology became one part of a much wider pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour that had allegedly developed throughout the relationship.

Pucci, 50, was convicted of 30 domestic-violence-related offences against Stacey and was sentenced to two years and three months in prison at Parramatta Local Court in western Sydney. He must serve at least 15 months before becoming eligible for parole.

He pleaded guilty to the offences shortly before a hearing that had been scheduled for August.

During sentencing, Judge Peter Feather said Pucci had engaged in abusive behaviour towards Stacey over a period of four years. The judge said the conduct involved multiple methods of dominating the woman and included the use of the Tesla application to control her vehicle.

The court also heard that Pucci allegedly created fraudulent employment opportunities in an effort to make Stacey dependent on him while preventing her from pursuing other opportunities.

Judge Feather described the behaviour collectively as coercive and controlling, saying it reflected a pattern intended to reinforce power and compliance.

The Tesla allegations emerged against a backdrop of much more serious incidents described in police documents.

In March 2020, Stacey told Pucci that she wanted to end their relationship while they were travelling in a car with her two-year-old son.

According to court documents, Pucci threatened that she would never see her son again if she ended the relationship. He allegedly took her phone and used it to send a message to her former husband claiming that she could not care for the child and wanted to give him up.

The documents further alleged that Pucci forcibly removed Stacey from her car, dragged her towards a nearby pillar and pinned her against it while threatening her.

He then allegedly drove away with her child, leaving Stacey without her phone or vehicle.

Police records said Pucci returned several minutes later and grabbed Stacey by the arm before warning her about what would happen if she attempted to end the relationship again.

Another incident occurred in 2021, after the pair had married. According to the documents, Pucci strangled Stacey until she experienced severe distress and believed she was fighting for her life.

The records said she eventually lost consciousness and believed she was going to die.

The Tesla itself had initially been introduced into the relationship as a source of convenience rather than control.

Stacey bought the vehicle while she and Pucci were still together. She reportedly experienced difficulties using some of its technology and accepted assistance from Pucci.

According to police documents, Pucci told her that the vehicle would need to be registered in his name so that he could access the Tesla application and help her operate the technology.

Stacey agreed, believing the arrangement was solely intended to allow Pucci to assist her with the vehicle.

After their relationship ended, however, the access allegedly became a mechanism for continued harassment.

In November 2025, Pucci was accused of using the Tesla application to interfere with Stacey’s vehicle. The conduct formed part of a charge involving the use of a carriage service to stalk or harass her.

Among the alleged incidents were seven attempts to disconnect the Tesla from its charging port remotely through the application.

The case demonstrates how connected technology can become an extension of domestic abuse when an abusive former partner retains access to digital accounts or devices.

The court proceedings also revealed that the alleged abuse was not limited to the vehicle or digital technology. Prosecutors presented a broader pattern involving intimidation, physical violence, threats and attempts to create dependency.

Pucci was convicted of eight counts of stalking or intimidation intended to cause fear or physical harm, six counts of common assault, two counts involving choking without consent, one count of using a carriage service to threaten to kill and another involving the use of a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.

Pucci is appealing against his sentence and is scheduled to return to court in late October.

His history has also previously attracted scrutiny outside the domestic violence case.

In 2017, the Federal Court found that a Sydney cleaning company owned by Pucci had subjected vulnerable foreign workers to severe exploitation. The court heard allegations that workers went unpaid for months and were left without adequate furniture, food and essential medical treatment.

The Fair Work Ombudsman subsequently secured a penalty of almost A$450,000 against Grouped Property Services. Pucci, who was the company’s owner and sole director, was fined A$3,000 after firing a woman who questioned why she had not been paid.

His brother, Rosario Pucci, who had previously operated the business, was described by the Federal Court as being closely involved in the exploitation and was fined a further A$74,300.

In 2022, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission disqualified Enrico Pucci from managing corporations for the maximum five-year period. The decision followed his involvement in the failure of three companies that collectively owed almost A$10m to creditors.

The latest court case has placed renewed attention on the ways technology can be exploited within abusive relationships.

Modern electric vehicles are increasingly connected to smartphone applications that allow owners to monitor and control a range of functions remotely. While these features can provide convenience and security, unauthorised access can also create risks when an abusive partner retains control after a relationship ends.

For Stacey, the technology allegedly became another means through which her former partner could maintain power over her even after their relationship had ended.

The allegations surrounding her Tesla formed only one part of a much broader case, but they illustrate the increasingly digital nature of coercive control.

The court has now convicted Pucci of the 30 offences, while his appeal remains pending. For Stacey, the legal proceedings have brought formal recognition of the extensive pattern of behaviour she says she experienced, including the alleged misuse of technology to continue controlling her after separation.

The case also highlights the importance of digital security for people leaving abusive relationships, particularly where former partners have access to connected vehicles, mobile applications or other technology-linked accounts.

As Pucci prepares to challenge his sentence in court, the allegations and convictions remain part of a case that demonstrates how traditional forms of domestic abuse can increasingly intersect with modern technology.