Wanted man who is 4ft 9 inches taunts police on social media as he’s still on the run

A wanted man who is 4ft 9 has been taunting police on social media while on the run, boldly challenging them to his capture.

WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

Dean Manning, 34, was jailed for 18 months in March 2022 after attacking his ex-partner while high and drugs and alcohol.

He has been serving part of the sentence on licence, which means he can live in the community instead of being in prison.

Manning, who stands at 4ft 9 tall and has a distinctive face tattoo, has gone on to set up a Facebook group called ‘The real Hunted’ - a reference to the popular Channel 4 reality series that sees people go on the run while being chased by a team of expert hunters.

The description says: “Let the games begin. Let’s see how long it takes for me to be caught.”

The private group, which was set up on 27 January, currently has more than 700 members.

Yesterday (Thursday 2 February), Manning posted a photo of himself, writing: “Still out here.”

He has also been sharing videos on TikTok under the account name ‘Get Shorty 4.9’.

Manning, of no fixed address, is wanted on recall to prison for breaching the terms of his licence, with police saying he is believed to have links to Norwich, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.

A spokesman for Norfolk Police would not comment on the Facebook group, but told ITV News in a statement: "Dean Manning remains wanted by police."

In a video posted at 8.36pm one evening, he could be seen walking past Bury St Edmunds police station.

"I shouldn't really be here, should I?" he said.

In another video posted at 5.08pm on 30 January, Manning also appeared to joke about mentions of his height in recent press coverage.

"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," he said.

A third, posted on Tuesday 31 January at 8.20pm, saw Manning claim he would hand himself in next week to Bethel Street police station in Norwich.

A domestic abuse charity in Norfolk has warned how incidents like this can have a 'negative impact on the survivor', stressing it is important that offenders are held to account.

Speaking to Eastern Daily Press, 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.”

LADbible has reached out to Norfolk Police for comment.

Anyone who has seen Manning, or knows of his whereabouts, should contact Norfolk Police on 101. Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.