A GRIEVING mum has hit back at online trolls who criticised her for posing in pictures next to her daughter’s coffin at the funeral.
Sophie-May Dickson posted emotional clips and images from the service for her 16-year-old daughter, Princess Dickson, who died in February.
Sophie-May, 32, claims Princess took her own life aged 16 after being the victim of online bullying.
The schoolgirl had reportedly been targeted with repeated hurtful remarks about her appearance from the age of 14 on online forums described by critics as “toxic”.
Her mum Sophie-May, who had previously been in the spotlight, was initially the focus of online criticism, with thousands of posts discussing her life and family.
But after she stepped back from some social media, attention is said to have shifted towards Princess.
Now, the heartbroken mum has been hit with a wave of cruel comments after sharing pictures from her teenage daughter’s funeral.
Sophie-May shared images from the funeral, including a photo of herself dressed in white with her head resting on her daughter’s coffin, along with other intimate moments from the day.
The mum also posted a glamorous picture alongside her other daughter posing next to the coffin, with the pair dressed in white high heels at the funeral.
However, the posts sparked backlash from some social media users, prompting her to defend her decision.
Sophie-May insisted she “did not broadcast this for views” with the mum claiming she simply wanted to share “a very special moment of mine”.
In a moving caption, she wrote: “26.3.26. The day I tucked my baby to sleep for the very last time. The hardest goodbye.
“How do you ever accept kissing your baby for the very last time?”
“I love you princess. You are loved beyond belief. I’ll see you next in heaven girl. Please be at the gates to greet me when it’s my time and show me all around.”
“Miss you so much – this missing piece will never ever be filled. You took a piece of me when you left.”
But not everyone responded with sympathy and some online users targeted the mum.
One critic blasted: “I find this totally bizarre. I remember burying my partner and I could barely get dressed or talk to anyone at all.”
“I know we all grieve different but wow social media and vanity has really got a hold of you. This is truly just weird. I was an utter sobbing, unsocial, miserable absolute hollow mess.”
Hitting back at the troll, Sophie-May explained the moment captured was deeply personal.
She said: “This was the last moment of me with my daughter. I was ONLY IN THE MOMENT!”
“It was just myself and staff in the room but to me it felt like just myself and my daughter.”
“I did not broadcast this for views.”
She added that hiring photographers meant she could look back on the day, saying: “I would highly suggest to anyone to hire people to watch back this day because your emotions and adrenaline are so high you don’t remember it all.
“So when I saw this piece of footage along with 100s of other beautiful pieces of footage I absolutely adored that those moments were captured and I can always go back to these last moments.
“And yes I chose to share. So no. In that moment wasn’t about future audience. I am just about to walk away from my baby for the very last time for the rest of my life.
“I did not broadcast this for views. I saw the person who captured this beautiful moment share it and decided to share it myself.”
Shortly before her death, Princess had reportedly struggled to attend school, with claims the online abuse had taken a toll on her wellbeing.
It is also claimed that fake accounts were set up to track Princess’ social media activity and mock her in the comments.
Sophie-May previously raised raised concerns about the impact the comments were having on her daughter’s mental health in September 2024.
And last month she claimed that she was “living every parent’s worst nightmare”, reports MailOnline.
The heartbroken mum told the outlet: “Even following her death, the trolling continues. Comments are online right now, with users degrading my daughter’s memory and mocking my family’s grief.”
The Coroner’s office are currently investigating the official cause of Princess’ death.
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
