A MURDER suspect has today been jailed for 14 months for refusing to give his Facebook password to detectives investigating the death of schoolgirl Lucy McHugh.

Stephen Nicholson, 24, has twice declined to hand over his log-in details - despite being in contact with Lucy on the morning of her disappearance.

Nicholson had been held by cops on suspicion of murder and sexual activity with a child after 13-year-old Lucy was found stabbed last month.

Today he appeared via video link at Southampton Crown Court to plead guilty to failing to disclose access codes to an electronic device under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa).

The care worker was staying in the schoolgirl's family home in Southampton until "several days" before her death and had contact with her as recently as the morning of her disappearance, the prosecution said.

Judge Christopher Parker QC sentenced Nicholson to 14 months in jail after he dismissed his "wholly inadequate" excuse that providing his password would expose information about cannabis.

"What you have done is obstructed the investigation, and a very serious investigation indeed. It has caused a very significant delay," the judge said.

"It means that the task of police investigating the murder of Lucy McHugh is that much more difficult."

Matthew Lawson, prosecuting, said: "The defendant admitted contacting Lucy on Facebook on the evening before and morning of her disappearance."

Detectives have been forced to go to the US department of justice in a bid to view his account.

Sun Online has contacted the social media giant for comment.

Dad-of-one Nicholson worked alongside Lucy's careworker mum Stacey, 30, and had been living with the family in recent months.

A neighbour told The Times: "The police came round there to arrest him.

"He had been living in Lucy's house. Her mum had got him a job as a carer and he also did tattooing in a room he has set up in their house."

Lucy's body was found two miles from her home last month - around 24 hours after she was last seen leaving her home in Southampton.

She had been stabbed to death with a sharp object believed to be a knife or scissors.

Chilling CCTV footage from a Tesco score captured her final movements before her death.

Her devastated mum has now issued a plea on Facebook for people to stop making threats against Stephen's family as tensions run high.

She said: "Please can I ask that people are not passing blame onto family members of the person that has been arrested.

"Making threats of violence to them will not bring my angel back."

Detective Superintendent Paul Barton also called for calm as Stephen's Facebook page was bombarded with abuse.