A WOMAN left distraught after being dumped by her girlfriend waged a three-week campaign of terror against her former partner, a court heard yesterday.

Emma Vaughan repeatedly stalked Kelly Chambers and twice beat her up in the street after tracking her down when the one-year relationship collapsed.

Vaughan was yesterday spared jail, but was told by a judge: "You must realise that people don't get any closer to the prison door than you have without passing through it."

The 23-year-old entered the dock at Teesside Crown Court in tears, and left sobbing after being given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Vaughan, from Saltburn, was also ordered to undergo two years of probation service supervision to help her cope with any future relationship breakdown.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox, described her behaviour as outrageous and added: "You made the life of that young woman absolute hell."

He said: "It culminated with a few days when you were totally out of control, inflicting injury to her on successive days, which was humiliating and painful.

"I am not at all convinced that the distress that you have shown in this court is anything more, or little more, than self-pity for the consequences of your actions."

The court heard that Vaughan made many mobile phone calls to Miss Chambers and her friends to track her down, and sounded her car horn at all hours outside of homes where she was staying.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting said the bitterness came to a head on January 15 when Vaughan followed her former lover into a friend's home and attacked her.

The following day, after continual phone calls, she confronted Miss Chambers, 29, in the street and screamed: "If I can't have you no one can. You have destroyed my life, and now I'm going to destroy yours."

Miss Chambers was punched in the face, dragged to the ground and kicked in the head before Vaughan bit her on the arm as she tried to fend off the blows.

Vaughan, of Cleveland View, Skelton Green, admitted putting a person in fear of violence between January 1 and 20, and charges of assault, unlawful wounding and intimidation were ordered to lie on file.

Peter Sabiston, mitigating, said: "She is a deeply sorrowful, ashamed and frightened young lady. This was a matter she does sincerely regret and there is a degree of remorse."