‘Shorty’ is still on the loose
A diminutive fugitive nicknamed ‘Shorty’ has taunted cops by filming himself outside police stations and posting cheeky messages on Facebook and TikTok.
Dean Manning, 34, who is just four foot nine inches, is being hunted by police officers to return him to prison after breaching his release terms.
In a private Facebook group he posted videos of himself outside police Bury St Edmunds police station in Suffolk with captions including “Deja vu” and “just out here sightseeing” with a laughing emoji.
@getshorty4.9♬ original sound – Get shorty 4.9
He has been missing since January 26 and since then has set up a Facebook group called ‘The Real Hunted’ with the description, “let the games begin”. Videos are also being shared on TikTok under the handle @getshorty4.9. He has 287 followers.
In one video posted at 8.36pm on January 27 he taunted police whilst walking past the police station in Suffolk, saying to the camera: “I shouldn’t really be here, should I?”
The group was created the day after he went missing and now has over 300 members.
Manning was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he attacked his ex-partner in a drink and drug-fuelled rage in March 2022.
Manning, of no fixed address, has links to Norwich in Norfolk and is described as 4ft 9ins tall with a tattoo on his cheek.
In another post he wrote that he was “mugged off” by the police releasing details about his height: “If they had not mugged me off with my height I would have handed myself in – I would have gone to hand myself in straight away.”
On 31 January he said he planned to hand himself in the following week, but asked if anyone wanted to meet up with him beforehand.
In the same video, he also joked he was in France and that Interpol “can get him now”.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Norfolk Constabulary said: “We have been made aware of the page and see that Manning has visited a police station in Suffolk.
“If he is in the area again he is welcome to call in for a cuppa.”
A Norfolk domestic abuse charity Leeway said incidents like this have a “negative impact on the survivor” and it is important that the offenders are held to account.
Mandy Proctor, chief executive of Leeway, said: “This type of behaviour can have a negative impact on the survivor and will feel like a continuation of the abuse they have already experienced.
“It takes great courage for someone to reach out for support or to report domestic abuse, and incidences like this can deter other people from coming forward.
“It is important that perpetrators are held to account for their actions, sending out a strong message that domestic abuse is not tolerated and encouraging other people experiencing it to come forward. “We would encourage anyone experiencing domestic abuse to reach out for support, as well as looking out for friends and family.”
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