A man suspected of murdering the schoolgirl Lucy McHugh has been jailed for refusing to provide his Facebook password to police investigating her death.
Stephen Nicholson pleaded guilty to a charge under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act at Southampton crown court on Friday and was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment.
The care worker, 24, had been staying in 13-year-old Lucy’s family home in Southampton until “several days” before her death and had been in contact with her as recently as the morning of her disappearance, the prosecution said.
Lucy was found in woodland at Southampton sports centre on 26 July. She had been stabbed to death.
While being questioned on suspicion of murder and sexual activity with a child, Nicholson twice refused to give detectives his Facebook password. Police were facing “difficulties” in trying to obtain the messages from the social media company, the prosecutor, Matthew Lawson, told the court.
He said: “Police have to go through a lengthy procedure in relation to that, therefore the police investigation into Lucy’s murder has been considerably obstructed.”
Defending Nicholson, Richard Tutt told the court his client had provided an excuse to the police.
“Mr Nicholson explained to the police when requested to provide the information that within his Facebook they will find information relating to cannabis and he was concerned that, should the information be revealed, that would put him or members of his family at risk,” he said.
Judge Christopher Parker QC said Nicholson had caused a “very significant delay” to the investigation and had made police inquiries “that much more difficult”.
“The excuse you put forward for not providing your password was, and remains, wholly inadequate when compared with the urgent need for that information to be provided,” he said.
Nicholson, wearing a grey tracksuit, appeared in court via video-link from Winchester prison. He was first arrested by Hampshire police on suspicion of murder and sexual activity with a child and remains on bail for those allegations. A charging decision is anticipated on 27 October.