Sean Shortman

Sean Charles Shortman (né Cummings; September 11 1976-) is the adopted son of Dora Mitchell and Joseph Shortman and the adoptive older brother of James and Harry. He was adopted at the age of one, after the death of his biological parents Harold and Beryl. He is currently serving a sentence of five years in HM Prison Brinsford for assaulting his wife.

## Background

Shortman was born Sean Cummings on September 11 1976 in Burton upon Trent. He was the fourth child of Harold Cummings (1937-1977) and Beryl Cummings (1941-1977). His parents were killed in a car crash when Shortman was one and he was put up for adoption. He was adopted with a few months by Joseph and Dora Shortman, who took him to live with them in Stoke-on-Trent.

He had a very unusual childhood, as he was not allowed to attend school, have friends or spend time with his adoptive father, as his adoptive mother would often worry that something may happen to him. She was too over protective of him and he permanently felt trapped by her. However, he was too scared to refuse her orders and despite the fact that some of the things she got him to do were illegal, he always did them without fail. A private teacher used to educate him once a week at home, but they were never allowed time alone. When he was seventeen, he helped his adoptive mother dispose of his adoptive father's body and dumped it into a local river. After he turned eighteenth, he was allowed to interact with other people and soon joined a gang and began engaging in crimes, such as robbery, arson and protection rackets. At the age of nineteen, he was arrested for the first time for theft, but was let off with a warning.

He began his first relationship with Zoe Hartley in 1997, when he was twenty-one. His adoptive mother was envious of their relationship, as Shortman began spending more time with his girlfriend and less time with his adoptive mother, which caused her to often interfere. In 2000, he helped his distressed adoptive mother by disposing of her husband Michael Barryman, who she suffocated with a pillow. That same year, he broke up with his girlfriend, as he believed that she had his adoptive mother arrested.

## Personal life

### Relationship with Zoe Hartley

In 1997, Shortman began his first relationship with Zoe Hartley, they were introduced the previous year by a mutual friend. Upon introducing her to his adoptive mother Dora, she took an instant dislike to her and tried to cause trouble between them by spreading lies and telling Shortman that he could do better. However, he never listened and continued on with the relationship. Dora never liked their relationship, as Shortman began to spend less time at home and she felt jealous. Shortman and Zoe fell in love with each other, but she did not like the fact that Dora would often interfere. In 1999, Zoe told Shortman that she was pregnant and he upset her when he asked whether he was the father and she later proved he was by a DNA test. Following the reveal to Dora, she tried to pay Zoe to have an abortion and to leave her son alone, which neither Dora or Zoe told Shortman about. Shortman was later anguished upon the news that Zoe had a miscarriage. One year later, Zoe admitted that Dora had been arrested, after she tried to kill her and Shortman split up with her, as he believed that she was the reason for Dora's arrest. In 2001, Zoe gave birth to a daughter she named Sophie. When Shortman discovered this, he demanded that she did another DNA test and he later found out that he was the father after reading the results.

### Marriage to Courtney Andrews

On May 11th 2003, Shortman married his girlfriend Courtney Andrews, after a year of dating. They tied the knot in Stoke-on-Trent. Their first child William was born that same year in August. Their marriage remained successful for two years, until rumours about Courtney having an affair were spread by Shortman's vindictive friends, who wanted their marriage to end, as Shortman began spending less time doing illegal actives. Shortman and Courtney then began having martial problems and he started to get abusive towards her. They went on to have two more children named Amelia and Roberta. In 2011, shortly after the birth of their third child, Shortman and Courtney moved to Featherstone. In 2017, Shortman was arrested for attacking Courtney with a glass bottle and causing her to end up in hospital. He was sentenced to five years in HM Prison Brinsford. Some of the residents of Featherstone began a petition to make his sentence longer for his domestic abuse.