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Man threatened to send intimate pictures of ex after she locked him out of Netflix account

Stephen Coveney Ryan appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co Donegal

Emma Ryan

Today at 11:30

A man has pleaded guilty to threatening to publish an intimate image of a woman after she locked him out of her Netflix account.

Stephen Coveney Ryan (27) appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to the offence.

The 27-year-old is charged that on January 23, 2022 at an unknown place, did threaten to distribute or publish and intimate image without the consent of another person with the intent to cause harm or being reckless as to whether harm is caused to the other person which he pleaded guilty to.

The victim attended the Garda Station on March 6 and 7 to make a complaint against the defendant.

The court heard the pair had communicated previously on social media channels but had stopped communication, but the defendant continued to access the victim’s Netflix account.

The court heard that the defendant then created a profile with a message addressing the victim.

Gardaí then advised the victim to change her password and cease all communications with the defendant.

On March 7, 2022, the victim noticed she had received messages from a page using the name John McGuinness on Facebook – a name that was previously used by Ryan at times.

Screenshots of the messages were presented to Judge John Aylmer and the court heard that the messages had been sent on January 23 2022, but the victim had only seen them in March.

The messages contained an intimate image of the victim that Ryan would have had access too, and under the picture, another message said, “Let me back into Netflix or every account I have will start sharing this.

Other messages read, “I start by sending it to all your friends and family” and “You have three hours to get back to me or the first person I will send it to will be sent it in three hours.”

A further message read, “F**k with me and I will kill you today girl.” An interim barring order was put in place and in October 22, Ryan was arrested and brought to Castlerea Garda Station.

He was shown the Facebook conversation between the pair and said, “I didn’t even read through it, I don’t feel the need to read it” and admitted he had seen the image previously.

The court heard that Ryan is currently in jail on another matter and has 12 previous convictions for theft, possession of controlled drugs, four convictions under the public order act and one in relation to burglary.

Defence barrister Patrick Gageby SC told the court that his client had been in custody for the matter for some time.

He added he had a troubled background as he is originally from Tipperary, but his father left when he was at an early age and his mother surrendered custody to social services while he was at a young age, and he had gone adrift.

Mr Gageby said the defendant had been associating with people involved in drink and drugs from a young age. Mr Gageby also read aloud a letter from the defendant who apologised to the court, Gardaí and particularly the victim.

The letter from the defendant said that he deeply regrets his actions and that he hopes the finalisation of the case will bring closure to the victim. He added he knows his actions were deplorable and not a day goes by where he does not think about it.

He added that prison has been beneficial to him and an eye-opening experience, adding that he was raised to be a good man with good words and values but throughout his life he had drifted from that path.

He reiterated his apologises to the victim and said he wishes her well in the future with ‘peace in her heart and happiness in life.’

Mr Gageby said the defendant is a person not without intelligence and insight, and a medical report submitted by the defence described a very sad story. He added that a probation report renders the opinion that he does not have remorse, but he said he believes the letter presented fully rejects that.

He urged the Judge to give him the benefit of the doubt and added he does recognise that he has been on the wrong path. Mr Gageby added that the court will see that the incident arose at a time of high emotions when he was still smoking cannabis.

Judge John Aylmer said he would need time to reflect on the matter and deferred the sentencing until Thursday, February 1. The case was adjourned with the defendant to appear next week via videolink.