A COMMUNITY worker today spoke of her "devastated life" after an angry father threatened to shoot her and tried to mow her down in his car.

Brigid Oliphant said she had lived life to the full before being subjected to the terrifying ordeal at the hands of Stephen Hunter.

She said she was now unable to leave her home without feeling scared and even disliked being alone inside the house.

Mrs Oliphant, who has lived on Blackburn's Higher Croft estate for more than 20 years, said she felt a valued member of the community before the incidents involving Hunter, but that her social life had been "stunned."

Her comments came as Hunter, 37, formerly of Whitehaven Court, Blackburn, was sentenced to three years probation at Burnley Crown Court after pleading guilty to harassment. He was also given a five-year restraining order forbidding him to contact Mrs Oliphant or go on to the Higher Croft estate.

Hunter has now moved with his family to another part of the town.

The court heard that the charge came after a dispute between the Hunter family and Mrs Oliphant which had escalated out of control.

In the first incident on September 3, 2001, Mrs Oliphant was walking home from the Fishmoor Health Centre with a friend when Hunter approached in his car.

He shouted abuse at Mrs Oliphant and said he was going to get his wife to beat her up and that he was going to shoot her.

John O'Shea, prosecuting, said Mrs Oliphant had been terrified by the threats and walked back to the health centre where she called the police.

Later the same month Mrs Oliphant was walking home along Lytham Road after celebrating a friend's birthday in a pub when she noticed Hunter sitting in a car near her home.

As she continued walking Hunter turned the headlights on full and drove towards her, swerving out of the way just before he reached her. Julian Holt, defending, said Hunter had lived close to Mrs Oliphant for 13 years without any problems and that the two incidents had showed behaviour well below what he expected of himself.

He said the dispute between the Hunters and Mrs Oliphant arose after the Hunter children were thrown off a bus in Grane Road while returning home from a trip organised by the community centre where Mrs Oliphant worked.

Speaking after the sentence was delivered Mrs Oliphant said: "This has taken away my freedom.

"I am so pleased and it is a better result than we thought. I feel that justice has been done and I can finally try to live my life without being scared all the time.

"I don't think my life will ever be the same.

"The effect since that dreadful day has been that I have not been able to leave home feeling safe and I have had new locks fitted to my home and my friends and I all have alarms on our clothing.

"Whenever I want to go anywhere I arrange to meet members of my family so I don't have to spend time alone.

"It has taken away my independence and I have even had to change the pubs I go in and the shops I visit so I don't bump into his family.

"My active social life has been stunned and even hearing a vehicle drive at speed causes me distress."

She added that she had been to her GP following the incidents and was now on sleeping tablets, anti-depressants and pills for high blood pressure.

She said: "I feel very bitter that Hunter has had such an effect on my life and I still don't fully understand why he did it."

Sentencing Hunter Judge Raymond Bennett said: "This was quite appalling behaviour and must have been a very frightening experience.

"This was quite intolerable."