A 44-year-old woman made life hell for her neighbours after turning to drink following a series of personal tragedies.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Marie Holmes repeatedly abused one Irish neighbour in a racially aggravated way despite her own father being Irish.

And she attacked another with a fence post, knocking her to the floor and then spitting in her face.

Holmes, of Bombay Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment of Marcella O'Reilly, racially aggravated threatening behaviour, assaulting Joann Witts, damaging windows at the homes of Mrs O'Reilly and Mrs Witts, and three offences of shoplifting.

She was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, made subject to community supervision for 12 months with an alcohol treatment requirement condition.

She was ordered to pay £200 compensation to Twin Valley Homes for the damage to the windows, £150 to Mrs Witts, £100 to Mrs O'Reilly and £24 to the One Stop Shop.

The magistrates also imposed a restraining order which bans her from having any contact with her former neighbours for 12 months.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Mrs O'Reilly had lived in Railton Avenue for 30 years.

"She says the defendant has been causing her problems for two years and this got so bad she was scared to leave her own home," said Miss Allan.

Mrs O'Reilly was subjected to verbal abuse about her nationality and things got so bad she had a CCTV system installed outside her house.

She told police; "My partner and I just want a peaceful life.

"I would love to be able to get up in the morning and go into the garden but I can't because of Marie."

Mrs Witts lived on the other side of Holmes and she had been a witness in court proceedings brought by the RSPCA which resulted in Holmes having her dog taken off her.

On May 12 Mrs Witts was watching TV when she heard a knock at the back door and thought it would be local children asking if they could get their ball out of her back garden.

"When she opened the door she saw Holmes standing there with a fence post in her hands," said Miss Allan.

"The defendant hit her in the stomach with the post knocking her to the floor.

"As she was laid there Holmes stepped into the kitchen, spat in her face and said she was going to kill her and shouted verbal abuse.

Michael Blacklidge, defending, told the court his client had turned to drink after a series of personal tragedies.

He said she had been left to raise her two sons alone and that one of them was killed in a car crash in Preston New Road in 2004.

A month after that her youngest sister, Kathleen, committed suicide by hanging herself.

"The father of her children, having walked out when they were young, reappeared and started blaming everyone but himself for the death of the boy," said Mr Blacklidge.

"Last year he was arrested for terrorist offences and my client ended up being a witness against him.

He is now serving six years for sending poison through the post to journalists.

In the middle of all that she was badly beaten by thugs with baseball bats.

"It is fair to say she has developed an alcohol problem."