Online troll targeted Danniella Westbrook and supporter

Natasha Dawn sent a woman 20 to 80 offensive tweets and messages most days for nine months, police said

An online troll who abused a woman because she had defended celebrity Danniella Westbrook has been jailed.

Police said Natasha Dawn targeted the woman on Twitter and Instagram after the victim backed the ex-EastEnders actress when Dawn trolled her online.

The woman told police the 43-year-old had sent her 20 to 80 offensive tweets and messages most days for nine months.

Det Sgt Lee Kirk, of Nottinghamshire Police, said Dawn's behaviour "was genuinely shocking".

At Nottingham Crown Court, Dawn, of Sheridan Court, Stapleford, was jailed for three years on Friday after pleading guilty to three counts of stalking.

Ms Westbrook has since spoken of her relief at the sentencing online.

Danniella Westbrook played Sam Mitchell in EastEnders

Dawn was arrested in August 2019 after writing offensive posts including one that wrongly accused the woman of abusing children and lying about a cancer diagnosis.

She also made taunts about the woman's dead mother, police said.

The victim told officers she blocked Dawn's social media accounts, but she created new ones under different names to send more abuse.

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

Det Sgt Kirk added: "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."

Dawn was also given a restraining order to not have more than one social media account, and police must be notified about it.

She was also ordered to not contact the victim.