Illawarra ‘car-bomber’ refused bail following tearful show at court
Ryan Sharp, the man accused of threats, intimidation and a car explosion, has been refused bail after another tearful display at Wollongong Local Court on Thursday.
Illawarra Star
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A fridge mechanic who blew up a woman’s car after she had run-in with his partner at a McDonald’s made a bomb out of sparklers and batteries at his grandmother’s house, police allege.
Ryan Sharp, 33, allegedly told the woman through a fake Facebook account posing as a woman: “I’m going to set your car on fire in a few hours then I’m going to rape you slut and make that c***sucker watch. Both of you have made a big mistake” hours after he smashed the windows of her Ford Ranger.
Sharp was arrested at a Warrawong service station earlier this week and charged with 10 offences, including placing an explosive in or near a vehicle with intent to cause harm and use carriage service to threaten to kill. He was refused bail by magistrate Michael Stoddart at Wollongong Local Court on Thursday, due to the “grave criminal offences” he’d allegedly committed.
Police facts tendered to the court allege Sharp’s barrage of intimidation and threats began after his 31-year-old partner was beeped at in a McDonald’s drive-through on February 22.
Police say Sharp used a fake Facebook account under the name Bree Elka, which featured photos of a young blonde woman, to track down and start a conversation with the man and woman who beeped at his partner.
As Bree Elka, Sharp initiated a conversation about a bed and mattress the victims had listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Here it’s alleged Sharp and his partner found out the victims’ address.
At 12.40am on February 23, police say Sharp attended the victims’ home with a baseball bat and smashed their car windows resulting in $10,000 worth of damage.
Shortly after, Sharp allegedly used the Bree Elka account to message the victims, saying “I’m going to set your car on fire in a few hours then I’m going to rape you slut and make that c***sucker watch. Both of you have made a big mistake.”
He allegedly messaged again a few minutes later, saying “[victim’s name] is a dead man, see you later tonight.”
The online harassment came to a head on March 5, when Sharp allegedly used a homemade bomb, or improvised explosive device, to blow up the victims’ car while it sat in their driveway.
Police allege he made the device, which was created largely using sparklers and batteries, at his grandmother’s home at Lurnea in the early hours of March 5.
Police facts say the bomb was constructed using PVC pipe, more than 100 sparklers, batteries and electrical tape. Sharp is alleged to have placed it under the victims’ Ford Ranger, which detonated at 3.45am, creating a large explosion, waking and scaring residents living in the quiet suburban street.
But this wasn’t the end of things. Police allege Sharp created another fake Facebook account to terrorise the victims on March 10, using the email clintonfukwit@gmail.com. At 12.27pm he sent a message saying “hiding are we hahaha”.
Following the alleged threats, intimidation and car bombing, police say Sharp bragged to colleagues about “knowing how to f*ck with people”.
In a conversation with a colleague on March 21 Sharp allegedly said “I know how to f*ck with people. It’s getting to the point I’m really not caring if it’s a police officer cause they are just f*cking my life …. They are going to send me to jail anyway.”
Sharp broke down in tears when he saw his mother Debbie and sister in the courtroom on Thursday, telling them he was sorry and that he loved them.
“I love you mum. Tell dad I’m sorry,” he said.
His bail was refused and his case adjourned to May 22. His partner, who has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to destroying property and stalking will appear on the same day. She is currently on strict conditional bail.