A successful film director who worked with Hollywood A-listers has been jailed after terrorising a woman during a vile stalking campaign.
Riagain Grainger, 22, has worked on projects which featured stars including Sir Ben Kingsley and, Charlize Theron, and has deals with the BBC and Netflix.
But he is now starting a two-and-a-half year jail sentence, after his shocking behaviour towards a woman he met at university in Manchester came back to haunt him.
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He began sending chilling messages to her on social media after their friendship broke down, as well as uploading pictures of her onto porn websites.
Grainger, originally from Northern Ireland, asked the woman whether she'd thought about killing herself, and said he 'can't wait to plunge a knife' into her stomach, Manchester Crown Court heard.
He called her a 'whore', a 'slut' and a 'f*** doll', made nasty comments about her body, and turned up outside her house.
She has been left traumatised and regularly has a panic attack if she hears a phone ring or vibrate.
"You bombarded her with a torrent of the most cruel, mean, abusive, abhorrent, vile, vindictive, and hate filled invective," Judge Timothy Smith told Grainger.
"They are some of the nastiest and most repellent messages I have seen.
"They were crafted and designed to abuse, undermine, demean, harm, hurt and generate fear, they clearly did so."
The pair, both film students at Manchester Metropolitan University, first met in March 2019 in a nightclub, and they became friends and sent each other messages on Snapchat.
They went for a walk and had a takeaway together, and remained friends.
The woman, aged 19 at the time and now 21, went home to the North East for the summer break.
Grainger told her he was 'lonely' and wanted to arrange to meet up.
She said she couldn't, as she was saving up to go on holiday with other university friends.
Prosecutors said this angered Grainger, as he believed she was prioritising other friends over her.
She stopped contact with him, but she later received a message saying he was 'scared' as his brother had been taken to hospital.
She wished his brother well but then deleted his phone number and blocked him on social media.
After this, she began receiving message requests on Facebook and Instagram from unknown accounts, which became increasingly abusive and violent.
Pictures of herself from her social media profiles had been posted on 'multiple' porn websites.
A total of 26 Instagram accounts had been set up to message her, and she was forced to delete her own account to stop receiving the abuse.
Then her friends and family started to receive messages from accounts in the victim's name.
An additional 15 Facebook accounts were created, most profile pictures being images of the victim, but some were edited to become pornographic, and had picture of a woman who had with blood pouring from her face.
Grainger was arrested in October 2019. The victim's boyfriend had seen Grainger outside their home a few weeks earlier.
In interview he tried to blame an ex-girlfriend for the messages.
He claimed he and the victim had been involved in a sexual relationship, and claimed they had met on Tinder.
The victim told how she has undergone counselling and therapy to try and recover.
Of the messages, she said: "At first I ignored them, hoping it was some sort of spam, but they kept coming one by one.
"They made me feel the ugliest I have ever felt.
"Everything I did, I felt he was watching, that he was following.
"He was there even when I couldn't see him."
She spent her final year of university away from Manchester, living back at home.
She added: "I am a 21-year-old woman, I should be out making memories, making friends, falling in love.
"Yet I can barely leave the house on my own.
"I shouldn't have to live in constant fear.
"I won't feel safe again until I know he can no longer hurt me."
Grainger, formerly of Hope Street, Manchester, admitted stalking her for more than a month in 2019.
But a judge said Grainger had shown a 'worrying and concerning pattern' of similar behaviour towards other women.
In Northern Ireland he received a probation order for harassing a woman he met on Tinder.
Grainger was issued with a Police Information Notice and told to stay away from a girlfriend he moved to Manchester with. He was not charged with any offence.
He also was given a caution for bullying a teenage girl online, when he was a youth.
Defending, Michael Goldwater said that Grainger was born in a small rural community in County Armagh.
He was brought up by his grandparents and the death of his grandfather when he was 14 had a significant impact, suffering problems with mental health and self harm, the court heard.
Moving to Manchester proved to be a 'culture shock'.
He went on to graduate with a first class degree in film, and created a burgeoning career for himself, working on projects with A list Hollywood actors.
Mr Goldwater said that Grainger was currently working with BBC Three to produce a comedy show and was contracted with Netflix for another comedy show.
A student film which he created is shortly due to be released by Amazon.
Mr Goldwater appealed for Grainger to be spared jail, saying the risk he poses was being 'well managed' by medical help he was receiving in Northern Ireland.
But a judge said the case was so serious that only a prison sentence was justified.
He will serve half of his sentence in prison. An indefinite restraining order was also passed.
'Everyone has the right to live their life without fear and harassment'
Following the hearing, Detective Constable Thomas Small, of Longsight CID, said: “Stalking can have a devastating effect on a victim and their loved ones.
"I hope this sentencing shows that we take any reports of stalking and harassment seriously, and is committed to bringing anyone found responsible to justice.
“Everyone has the right to live their life without fear and harassment, and Grainger made that impossible for this young woman.
“I would urge any victims of stalking or harassment to please take that brave step and report it to us. In an emergency call 999, in a non-emergency or to report an incident that has already happened, contact us via LiveChat on our website www.gmp.police.uk, or ring 101. National agencies such as Suzy Lamplugh and Paladin can also provide you with advice and support."
