Woman encouraged teenager to take her own life

A woman who contacted a teenage girl online and encouraged her to take her own life has been sentenced.

Nadine Sparrow, 20, met the victim at hospital in King’s Lynn, where they were both patients, in March last year.

Following their release from hospital, Sparrow kept in touch with the 17-year-old victim via messages, social media and in person. She repeatedly encouraged her to end her own life, giving explicit details of ways she could do this.

Sparrow, of Jack Warren Green, Fen Ditton, Cambridge, pleaded guilty to encouraging / assisting self-harm by another and was sentenced to two years and three months in a young offender institution at Cambridge Crown Court last week (12 February). She was also handed an indefinite restraining order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

PC George Jackson, who investigated, said: “Sparrow’s actions were reckless and dangerous and could have resulted in the loss of a vulnerable young life.

“This was a sensitive and emotional case to deal with, but I am glad justice has been done today and hope this shows how seriously we take such incidents.”

Anyone who is struggling with their mental health is encouraged to reach out to the appropriate services for support or dial 999 in an emergency.