“I’m going to dig up your mummy and cut her to pieces” a Co Armagh man posted on Snapchat about his ex-girlfriend's deceased mother, Craigavon court hears

Ryan Shortt, aged 23, from Carrickvale Manor, Lurgan appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court via video link from Maghaberry Prison.

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He faced two sets of charges. Firstly, he pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a woman, breaching a non-molestation order and persistent improper use of electronic communications on September 16 last year.

Secondly, he also pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, no insurance, aggravated vehicle taking causing damage and having no driving licence on February 13 this year.

The court heard the injured party attended Woodburn police station in Belfast on September 6 last year in relation to her ex-partner, the defendant, claiming her friend had spotted posts of the victim on Snapchat by Shortt.

The first one was a photo stating the victim’s name and “I’m going to stiff your ginger freak of a kid”. The victim didn’t have a screenshot of this as he deleted it before the friend could take a shot.

The second Snapchat Shortt posted said she was a ‘smelly ba*t**d’ and ‘I don’t care about my kids’. Police have a photo of this.

The defendant was bailed for further enquiries and a third Snapchat was a video that the defendant had put on a story which was of him driving a Skoda vehicle while using his mobile phone. The injured party’s friend had a screen record of this plus police have bodyworn video of that.

The injured party believed the defendant was using his mother’s vehicle athough he was a disqualified driver.

The victim also received three phone calls with no caller ID. The first call last three seconds and the injured party recognised the defendant’s voice and he hung up.

A second call lasted 34 seconds and he stated: “I’m going to kill you, you f**king tramp.” A prosecutor said the injured party told Shortt to ‘F**k off’ and hung up.

The third call lasted 38 seconds when the defendant stated: “I’m going to dig up your mummy and cut her to pieces.”

The prosecutor told the court the victim says she in fear of the defendant and believes he is going to kill her and her children.

“He’s very unpredictable and violent. She is flagged as a high risk MARAC,” said the prosecutor. MARAC is Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference which deems a person at high risk of serious harm.

During police interviews Shortt denied all charges.

In the second case, the court heard that on February 13 this year at 6pm, police received a report that a grey Skoda had been stolen from William Street, Lurgan.

The injured party said she had parked the vehicle in William Street to collect a takeaway, leaving the defendant as the only passenger in the vehicle and he was in the front passenger’s seat.

On that same date at 6.20pm, police received a report from an elderly female who attended Lurgan police station saying her vehicle had been hit whilst on Brownlow Terrace in Lurgan.

The first woman’s statement that she had walked into a chip shop in William Street at 5.20pm was backed up by CCTV. She said she had taken the car keys with her but the vehicle is a keyless start. On her return she couldn’t locate her car and believes the defendant took the vehicle.

CCTV shows the vehicle being driven off 40 seconds past 5.20pm in the direction of Brownlow Terrace. There was also footage of the collision between the Skoda and another vehicle.

Police found the defendant in Wellington Street, Lurgan and found the stolen car in Clara Street with damage to the rear.

After the defendant was shown Ring doorbell footage of him leaving the vehicle in Clara Street, he made full admissions to police claiming to have drank a quarter bottle of Fireball that afternoon. He claimed he couldn’t remember taking the car.

Shortt’s barrister, Mr Barry McKenna, said he conceded: “They are serious matters and Mr Shortt would accept that himself.”

"I do accept that some of this behaviour is rather appalling,” he said.

He revealed there was a ‘very substantial’ sentencing exercise conducted in February 2025. However he pointed out that the first set of charges in this case date to before that in 2024. Mr McKenna added that there had been concerns raised by the court about the length of time the case was before the courts.

The court was also told that the same victim was the injured party in two previous Non-Molestation Orders in March 2024 and February 2025.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said that the first set of offences could have been prosecuted on indictment.

“There are significant aggravating features in that case, the involvement of children, the involvement of a deceased mother and the repeat offending,” said the district judge adding he did give credit for Shortt’s guilty pleas.

For the first set of offences including the charges of threatening to kill a woman, breaching a non-molestation order and persistent improper use of electronic communications, the defendant was given four months jail terms on each charge all to run concurrently.

On the second set of offences, for driving with excess alcohol, no insurance and aggravated vehicle taking, Shortt was given three months jail terms on each of the charges also to run concurrently. He was also given a two-and-a-half year driving disqualification.

For the no driving licence charge he was also given a concurrent driving ban of one year.

He was further ordered to pay a £25 offender levy.