Catherine Zeta Jones Stalker Gets Three Years  7/9/05

A woman accused of stalking and threatening actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has been sentenced to serve three years in prison.

Dawnette Knight pleaded no contest to stalking charges last year (04) at the end of a trial, during which the Welsh actress took the stand to testify about her terrifying techniques.

The Chicago star read from more than 20 letters Knight, who was smitten with the actress' husband Michael Douglas, had sent to her.

In one terrifying letter, the accused threatened to kill Zeta-Jones, "like John F. Kenndy," and in another she wrote, "We are going to slice her up like meat on a bone and feed her (Zeta-Jones) to the dogs."

Zeta-Jones was not in court for the sentencing on Friday (08JUL05), but prosecutor Debra Archuleta (corr) read Knight a letter she'd received from the actress.

In it the Oscar winner wrote, "You have profoundly affected me in how I conduct my life... Your actions will be with me the rest of my life - how I will be constantly observing, looking over my shoulder."

Knight made a tearful plea for leniency and apologized for her actions, stating, "I hope one day the victim will forgive me. I am sorry. I think about it all the time," as she was sentenced in Los Angeles.

After already serving 600 days of her prison term, Knight is expected to be released early next year (06).

Knight was originally charged with stalking and 24 counts of making criminal threats between October 2003 and May 2004.