JORDAN RUTHERFORD AND HIS SHOCKING THREATS IN NEWCASTLE
Jordan Rutherford, a man with a disturbing criminal history, has once again made headlines after engaging in a terrifying series of threats directed at a woman from Ashington.Rutherford, who previously served time for serious sexual offences, including engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, threats of violence, and possession of knives, was released from prison in January of the previous year.
Since his release, he has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the conditions of his parole and the efforts of probation services to monitor his conduct.
Rutherford’s criminal record is grim; he served a two-year sentence after being convicted in October 2021 for sexually predatory behaviour involving a minor, alongside threatening to kill her and carrying knives.
Despite his release, he failed to cooperate adequately with probation officers, who had worked extensively to secure stable accommodation for him.
He even admitted to his probation officer that he was battling “an urge to reoffend and push boundaries because of the thrill it gave him,” revealing reckless insight into his problematic behaviour.
The troubled individual struck up an online conversation with a woman from Ashington in March, during which he attempted to downplay his history of offending.
Rutherford claimed he had been in prison but provided a version of events that minimized the gravity of his past crimes.
However, the woman, who initially engaged with him, was overwhelmed when she discovered the truth.
Although she intended to meet Rutherford in person, her shock was palpable; she quickly excused herself, citing the need to return to work and ending the call abruptly.
Shortly after their conversation, Rutherford attempted to manipulate her further.
He sent her a WhatsApp message instructing her to disregard what he was about to send.
The message, which was deliberately frightening, stated, “I'm going to kill you, I'm going to come to your house and I will put your door through.
I will come in and I really want to hurt you.
I love you but I need to end you.” The message left her visibly shaken.
Liam O'Brien, the prosecutor, described the incident: “Notwithstanding the text message, this scared her.
Her concern increased an hour later when she was contacted by his probation officer, who explained the true extent of his sexual offending and the fact he had a history of carrying knives.” The situation escalated the following morning when the woman woke up to find more threatening messages.
Rutherford continued to threaten her life, explicitly stating his plan to go to her house and kill her.
He expressed frustration at being blocked and persisted in sending menacing messages, even after she tried to distance herself.
Rutherford explicitly told her he would wait for her to finish work, follow her home, and then “lock the door and kill her,” warning her that “you won't be able to escape and before you know it you will be dead.” His awareness of causing her fear was evident—he sent a screenshot of his location, showing he was nearby, even though she knew he was not from Ashington and had no reason to be in that area.
Rutherford’s intentions appeared calculated to intimidate and threaten her.
The woman, terrified for her safety, sought immediate help by having her stepdad meet her from work and subsequently contacting law enforcement.
Her ordeal was compounded by Rutherford’s repeated attempts to contact her with threats.
He made multiple calls to the emergency services, revealing his intention to harm her.
When finally confronted by police after his fourth call, Rutherford was arrested.
A search of his phone uncovered disturbing research—he looked up the sentencing guidelines for making threats to kill and even investigated “disturbing things to say about killing people,” possibly in an effort to make his threats more frightening.
While on some form of supervised probation, Rutherford did not desist from his attempts to contact the woman.
He enlisted the help of another prisoner to encourage her to email him, showing a continued pattern of harassment.
Rutherford’s actions left her feeling deeply unsafe; she expressed in a victim impact statement that her trust was shattered, and she now lives in constant fear of him.
She explained that since receiving the threats, she has been too frightened to leave the house alone, constantly looking over her shoulder and unable to enjoy her usual social or work life.
Court proceedings revealed that Rutherford’s past offences involved threatening the same woman with violence, including killing her.
The evidence demonstrated a troubling pattern of behaviour that persisted even after his previous incarceration.
Rutherford, now 21 and without a fixed address, pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence.
The court sentenced him to three years in prison and imposed a restraining order to protect the victim.
Pre-sentence reports highlighted the high risk Rutherford poses of causing harm.
His legal defender, Vic Laffey, stated that Rutherford’s motives appeared to be a misguided attempt to get himself recalled to prison, suggesting his mental state was compromised at the time.
Laffey expressed remorse on Rutherford’s behalf, emphasizing that he had caused significant distress to the young woman, who did not deserve such treatment.
Rutherford sincerely regrets betraying her trust and causing her to feel unsafe.
He assured the court that he would adhere to the restraining order and expressed disappointment about offending again while on license.
Laffey also noted that Rutherford found it overwhelming to reintegrate into society after his release and acted out of selfish impulses, even admitting that he thought it might be better if he was back behind bars.
