Internet troll jailed after tormenting Danniella Westbrook and her fan online

An online troll who tormented a woman with up to 80 abusive messages every day for nine months has been jailed.

Natasha Dawn from Nottinghamshire targeted the woman on Twitter and Instagram following a row over celebrity actress Danniella Westbrook.

Dawn had been trolling the celebrity when the woman stepped in and defended Westbrook.

She then started a campaign of abuse, including false accusations of child abuse, making taunts about the woman's dead mother and accusing her of lying about a cancer diagnosis.

The victim told police she blocked Dawn’s social media accounts but that she then created new accounts under different names to send more abuse.

She told police Dawn had sent her 20-80 offensive tweets and messages most days for nine months.

Investigations also found Dawn had sent abusive messages to a number of other people on social media. 

Dawn, from Stapleford, was jailed for three years at Nottingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of stalking.

Detective Sergeant Lee Kirk, from Nottinghamshire Police said: "Dawn's behaviour throughout this period was genuinely shocking and I am pleased she has now been brought to justice.

"Our investigations found she had abused a number of people on social media and I hope this sentence provides her victims with some degree of comfort.

"Stalking behaviours such as harassment shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone at any time."

Nottinghamshire Police was recently praised by the Government for its work to prevent stalking.

In a letter to Chief Constable Craig Guildford, Rachel Maclean MP, parliamentary under secretary of state for safeguarding, hailed the force’s effective use of new Stalking Prevention Orders to protect victims.