A STALKER who terrorised her victim, his family and friends during a campaign of harassment has narrowly avoided being jailed for a second time.

Burnley Crown Court heard Kathleen Pedder, of Barnoldswick, went as far as buying a Vauxhall Calibra so she could join the classic car club her victim Darrell Stowe was a member of – just so she could abuse him.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker said Pedder posted a number of defamatory Facebook messages about Mr Stowe.

The court heard how 70-year-old Pedder also bombarded Mr Stowe, his ex-wife and current partner with hate-filled emails.

All that put her in breach of a restraining order made in favour of Mr Stowe in 2015 when Pedder was jailed for stalking.

And her latest campaign of abuse, which took place between February 2017 and December 2018, put Pedder in breach of that order.

Mr Parker said: “The victim had first met the defendant in 2014. Within a relatively short space of time he was sufficiently concerned about her to make a complaint to the police.

“In September 2015 the defendant was convicted of stalking and sent to prison for 12 months. She was also given a restraining order for an indefinite period of time.

“The terms of that order were not to contact Mr Stowe or his children, or publish any statement or other material relating to him.

“Following her release from that prison sentence the harassment continued. By April 2017 she joined the Vauxhall Calibra club which Mr Stowe was an active member of and even purchased such a vehicle. She also posted various messages on Facebook.

“She managed to track down his ex-wife and sent her emails. She also sent emails to various other friends of Mr Stowe.”

In a victim personal statement read out in court by Mr Parker, Mr Stowe referred to Pedder’s ‘relentless and unsolicited involvement in his life’.

Mr Parker added: “Her harassment had affected both his and his partner’s mental health. He felt she had tried to destroy his life because there was not one aspect of it she had not affected or impacted.”

Pedder, of Roundell Road, Barnoldswick, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order.

Defending, Nick Dearing said his client had accepted she must not continue with her current pattern of behaviour.

Mr Dearing said: “Ms Pedder does understand the extent of her wrongdoing. She does accept she must move on with her life. She will let go of whatever malice is remaining.”

Judge Sara Dodd sentenced Pedder to two years in jail, suspended for two years and warned her that any further offending would result in an immediate prison sentence.

She must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Judge Dodd added: “The reason I am not sending you immediately to custody is that I think in the long run there may be more protection for Mr Stowe if interventions are put in place now. If I am wrong about that you will go straight to prison for two years.”