Britain's first self-declared 'X-oholic' jailed after he stalked a female police chief constable in a rush to get likes on social media

Jason Nicholls bombarded Sussex Police's Jo Shiner with hundreds of abusive social media posts over the course of two years. On Twitter, now X, Nicholls shared hundreds of posts, memes, mock-up images, and satirical videos criticising the chief constable's work.

The 55-year-old from East Cowes started a 'Twitter soap' called 'Shiner Street' which detailed the 'ups and downs' of her force and also created a wanted poster with her face on for 'crimes against policing'.

Admitting his stalking, Nicholls said his social media 'addiction' has 'dominated' his life for over a decade as he tried to chase the 'instant dopamine rush' which came with posting online. He claimed to be the UK's 'first registered X-oholic' and says he now hopes to help others like him whose online lives have become 'unmanageable'.

Now, Nicholls has been jailed for 15 weeks and has been slapped with a restraining order against CC Shiner. The order bans Nicholls from contacting CC Shiner, tagging her in posts online - and also bans him from contacting Sussex Police unless there is a genuine emergency or to report a crime.

While he was awaiting sentence at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Nicholls breached his bail conditions by sending emails to police. At sentencing, magistrates told Nicholls he showed a 'flagrant disregard' for CC Shiner and that a 'significant degree' of planning went into his mock-up images on social media.

It was heard that Nicholls stalked CC Shiner from October 2022 to August of this year. He sent the constable a 'great deal' of online communications to her personal X account and email address, among others.

Nicholls alleged there was 'corruption' within the force and suggested police were 'not investigating a matter reported by the defendant'. He used his social media account to 'vent his anger' towards the constable and gave specific examples of the posts he made.

Among other posts, he edited CC Shiner onto cartoon pictures of sheep and put her face on a wanted poster for 'crimes against policing'. Nicholls alleged online that the force was 'covering up crime' and started a 'Twitter soap' called 'Shiner Street'.

He said this 'following the ups and downs of #SussexPoliceChiefConstableShiner', the court heard.

And, he also contacted media outlets including BBC Radio Sussex, falsely telling them she had been 'arrested'. He also created a poster which joked that she was 'separated at birth' with Uncle Albert from Only Fools and Horses.

Prosecutors said there was a 'large number of posts' which were 'distressing' to CC Shiner and she was 'professionally embarrassed'. He admitted one count of stalking without fear and distress and two counts of breaching bail conditions.

When he appeared at court and admitted stalking last year, Nicholls took the unusual step of producing a statement about his so-called social media addiction.

It said: "I am an X-oholic—blind to risk or consequence, I have lost control of my online life, impulsively chasing the instant dopamine rush of likes, shares, and replies through an overwhelming flood of posts, memes, and satirical videos.

"Today, I've hit rock bottom, but I'm ready to take his first steps toward recovery."

Nicholls said he 'turned to X' to cope with 'genuine distress' relating to an issue caused by a fostering assessment with East Sussex County Council that went 'disastrously wrong'.

"But things quickly spiralled out of control," it continued.

"For me - who has ADHD, which makes me especially susceptible to addictive behaviour - Elon Musk’s free-speech platform X became like a high-street fixed-odds gambling machine, offering a quick, seductive, and psychologically numbing high."

Nicholls apologised to CC Shiner and Sussex Police force and asked for 'forgiveness and understanding' relating to the 'addiction that has dominated my life over the past decade'.

"I deeply appreciate the difficult and vital role the police play and regrets that my actions crossed the line," he continued.

"Above all, I am here to ask the court for support in breaking free from this overwhelming compulsion.

"I may be the UK’s first registered X-oholic, but I won’t be the last."

The father said X has 'transformed how people in the UK air their problems, challenge people in power, and catch up on the news'.

"Now Donald Trump is back in the White House, I fear my addiction will only worsen," he continued. "Today, this court has an opportunity to show national leadership in acknowledging that something has to be done to help X-oholics like me live a normal life."

At Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Nicholls was jailed for 15 weeks, given a restraining order, and ordered to pay £239 in costs.

Magistrates said "the defendant has a flagrant disregard for court orders because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property." They said his offending featured a 'persistent and prolonged course of actions' and a 'significant degree of planning creating mock up pictures and Twitter accounts'.