A Belfast man who sent threatening online messages to Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister and smashed the windows of a party colleague’s office has been jailed. Aaron Thomas Curragh, 34, from Whincroft Road, was given a 31-month sentence, half to be spent in custody and half on licence. Curragh had previously pleaded guilty to three charges of criminal damage and one of threatening communications.
He posted a series of tweets about Emma Little-Pengelly on 8 July 2024, including a video which appeared to be pointing in the direction of her house. In the video, Curragh said Mrs Little-Pengelly had a “death threat on her head from members of her own party”. He also posted a message saying “It’s a real shame I can’t upload where I am… but I hope you’re alive by the time I get uploading Emma”.
Mrs Little-Pengelly was made aware of the posts and recognised Curragh from his profile photograph. She recalled meeting him in a local shop when he had sworn at her. The court heard that on 13 July, Curragh was interviewed by police and admitted causing the criminal damage on 12 July and posting online about Mrs Little-Pengelly.
On 8 December, DUP assembly member Joanne Bunting’s constituency office was targeted, with several windows smashed. Curragh posted a series of messages on his Twitter feed indicating he caused the damage. He also posted a narrated video depicting a window breaking with the comment “Hi DUP remember me” and an explosion emoji.
Both Ms Bunting and Mrs Little-Pengelly provided written victim impact statements, describing the “upset, hurt and fear” they had felt following the attacks. Mrs Little-Pengelly said the incident “affected me deeply, made me feel uncomfortable and I hated my own house”. The deputy first minister said that initially she “felt apprehensive and felt alone without my husband there”.
Following his guilty pleas, Curragh spoke to a probation officer and said that after he got out of prison he planned to leave Northern Ireland as it was “so bloody divided”. The probation officer noted Curragh presented as paranoid, claiming telephone calls in the prison were recorded.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC said: “It is more and more common these days for public figures, including politicians, to be abused online. And that abuse, as proved in this case, went well beyond any accepted level of criticism. This is a young man who during the course of a number of interviews giving explanations for the behaviour displayed entirely irrational thinking.”
Curragh also received a seven-year restraining order on Mrs Little-Pengelly and was warned not to have contact with his victims.
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