Coroner warns of online messaging dangers after death of teenager

By Alice Philipson

1:27PM GMT 26 Nov 2013

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A coroner has warned of the dangers of online messages after a teenager killed himself because of bullies on Facebook.

Lewis Thelwall, 19, was sent "malicious" messages by two young women who had "little idea of what affect it would have".

Mr Thelwall, who was described as a "happy-go-lucky character", later took his own life.

The inquest heard how the teenager, a forensics and photography student, was targeted for false rumours by other teenagers on the social network site.

He had recently lost his father, which caused him considerable distress.

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Coroner Philip Rogers said there was a "long and complicated" story involving Facebook messages.

He said: "I can only describe this as Facebook bullying.

"I would urge anyone who uses this sort of social media to think of the consequences."

Mr Rogers said comments made online caused Mr Thelwall great distress, particularly following the death of his father.

He continued: "Two young women known to Lewis have taken it upon themselves to make entries on Facebook which they now accept as malicious and completely unfounded.

"Sadly he was a young man who was vulnerable because of the death of his father.

"The two young women have accepted their responsibility for these messages.

"They accepted they had little idea of what affect it would have on Lewis."

The two women – who can't be identified for legal reasons – have been given a caution for malicious communication.

Detective Constable Lee Stephens described Mr Thelwall, originally from Swindon but who moved to Wales when he was nine, as a "happy-go-lucky character" who was upset at Facebook slurs.

Lewis's mother Tina echoed the warning about Facebook bullying.

She said: "Be careful what you write.

"Behind closed doors you don't know what is going on. They did not understand what Lewis was going through."

Mr Rogers recorded a verdict of suicide.

If you are, or someone you know is, affected by suicide, the following organisations can help:

http://www.samaritans.org/

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Teenager sentenced to unpaid work for punching horse in the face

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Nico Pettigrew, 18, was with his 14-year-old girlfriend when they attracted the horse to the edge of a field by offering to feed it.

He then punched the animal so hard that it stepped back before throwing a rock at it, making it collapse.

He said he carried out the attack for "a laugh" and was left clutching his own hand after injuring it during the blow.

Pettigrew was ordered at Perth Sheriff Court to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, placed on an 18-month payback order and ordered to attend drug treatment after admitting a string of offences.

He claimed he was "an animal lover", but was found guilty at an earlier hearing of punching the horse in Scone, Perthshire, in the early morning incident in June last year, before injuring it by throwing a stone at it.

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Hilda Cochrane, who saw the attack, told the court: "I heard voices shouting and joking. I got out of bed to look out the window. It was a girl and the boy.

"They were at the field. They were giggling and carrying on, then she bent down to pick grass up to try and entice the horses over.

"Eventually the horses came over, thinking they were going to get a bit of grass. The white horse came over to get a bit of grass.

"The young guy punched the horse in the face and the horse went back a bit. The boy hurt his hand and went down holding it. It was terrible.

"The girl was laughing and joking. She did it again and the horse was quite cagey. The young guy got a brick or a stone and hit the horse. I heard the thump on the horse's chest. It went down on all fours in shock.”

Her husband Ronald, who shouted at the pair to stop and chased them down the street in his pyjamas, added: "He punched it hard. The horse ran away and he stood and had a cigarette for five or ten minutes and then shouted on it again.

"When it was five or six feet away he lifted a brick and threw it. The whole horse shuddered. My wife screamed and I ran out because I couldn't take it any longer.”

Pettigrew was sentenced after previously being found guilty of breaching the peace by punching the horse and smashing a nearby bus shelter window. He also admitted a separate breach of the peace and shoplifting.

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