A teenager tried to kill himself after his best pal tricked him into falling in love with a fake internet boyfriend.
The 16-year-old swallowed 60 painkilling tablets after finding out he was the victim of a schoolboy prank.
Yesterday the 17-year-old cyber bully, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was warned he could be locked up for his deception.
Brighton Youth Court was told the bully created a profile about a fictitious boy named Callum using internet networking site Bebo and then lured his friend into a relationship with the character.
Magistrates were told the teens, who are both from Brighton, had been best friends until the victim had drawn pictures of the bully which had humiliated him in front of his peers.
In an attempt to get revenge, the youth set up the profile, started the 'relationship' and then revealed details of the explicit message exchanges to friends.
Prosecutor Simon Drew said the 16-year-old had received Bebo e-mails from Callum for more than three months last summer.
He said: "Callum started contact and left messages saying they had lots in common. A cyber relationship formed and the messages began to get very personal and of a sexual nature. They would send messages with 'I love you' at the end."
When the 16-year-old learned he was being fooled - after the bully accidentally sent him an email from his own address rather than that of Callum - he tried to take his own life by swallowing 30 paracetamol, 15 Buscopan and 15 ibuprofen tablets.
The youngster's mother took him to hospital where he was kept overnight. A psychologist said the attempted suicide had been genuine and was not just a cry for help.
The defendant, who has bullied another friend the same way, said he had no idea his victim had tried to kill himself until friends told him.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment.
Defending, Jodie Blackstock said her client was full of remorse.
She said: "He bitterly regrets the hurt that was caused. He never contemplated it would get to this stage and that it would spiral out of control.
"My client and his friends thought they would use this profile as a way of showing the victim the effects of divulging secret conversations and show him up for what he was, to embarrass him. There's a sense of revenge.
"But it became out of hand because there was never the thought the victim would become so attached to Callum."
By way of apology the teenager posted a video online featuring photos of the two during happier times.
Sat next to his mother and struggling to hold back the tears, the 17-year-old bully told the court: "I know what I did was really bad but I didn't want anything like this to happen. I am just really sorry."
Lead magistrate Dr Sue Berry said: "This is a very serious bullying case. It may be cyber bullying, but that's no less serious.
"It has happened over a period of time against a friend. You were reckless as to the outcome and it was planned with a view to public humiliation."
Dr Berry adjourned the case for sentencing until February 18 so that the probation service could complete a report on the defendant.
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