A TWISTED loner has been jailed for 18 weeks for "trolling" on memorial pages set up in tribute to dead teenagers on social networking websites - writes Ahmad Chaker Jomaa.

In one of the first cases of its kind, Sean Duffy, 25, from Grovelands Road, west Reading, was jailed yesterday (Tuesday) for making posts mocking the death of Natasha MacBryde, 15, who threw herself in front of a train earlier this year after being bullied, on Facebook and Youtube.

Reading magistrates heard, Duffy posted a YouTube video titled "Tasha the Tank Engine" featuring the teenagers face on a picture of Thomas the Tank Engine.

The court heard he also created a Facebook account, claiming to be Hayley Bates, 16, who died in a car crash, and posted a picture with the caption: "Used car for sale, one useless owner"

Duffy also used Facebook to create a mock memorial page for stab victim, Jordan Cooper, 14, titled "Jordan Cooper Rest In Pieces" and posted images mocking the death of Lauren Drew, 14, who died after suffering an epileptic fit, which were seen by her family.

One of the pictures was of a coffin with the words "Happy Mother's Day" written on it, while another caption said: "I can't get out of my coffin, I have scratched myself down to the bone."

Duffy, an alcoholic who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, admitted two counts of sending offensive communications at an earlier hearing and asked for three similar offences to be taken into account.

His defence lawyer, Lance Whiteford, said Duffy was obsessed with "serial killers, murder and death" and had a history of isolation.

Chairman Paul Warren said Duffy's actions illustrate the harm caused by the malicious misuse of the social media and banned him from using such websites, including Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and YouTube, and owning any device capable of accessing the internet which has not been first approved by police for five years.

For more see tomorrow's Chronicle