A WOMAN who harassed a bus driver by lying in wait at bus stops on his route then threatening him has been jailed for two years.

Charlie Howells was sentenced on Thursday after she admitted harassing Imre Marton and breaching a restraining order which stopped her contacting him.

Oxford Crown Court heard 22-year-old Howells was "obsessed" with Mr Marton and had "stalked" him since 2012, sometimes waiting up to eight hours at a time at bus stops.

She had already been jailed for four weeks at Oxford Magistrates' Court in June after admitting breaching a restraining order and stalking and harassing Mr Marton.

But the crown court heard on Thursday she contacted him again within weeks of her release and sent him 500 texts between July 12 and August 4.

John Upton, prosecuting, said the most recent charges related to an incident on August 4 last year when Mr Marton was harassed at a bus stop in Wantage.

Howells was standing at the stop when Mr Imre arrived in his bus, and when he tried to hide from her she started shouting at him.

She then made her way to another stop where she knew he would arrive later and stared at him as he drove past.

When he came back to the stop later that day she got on the bus, leading Mr Marton to call the police.

Mr Upton said: "On occasion she has been more aggressive towards him, on one occasion drawing her fingers across her throat, which he took to be a threat that she would cut off his head."

Tim Greaves, defending Howells, said she was a "troubled woman" who had been bullied when younger.

Judge Ian Pringle sentenced Howells to two months in jail for harassment and two years for breaching her restraining order, to run concurrently, and also extended the restraining order to five years.

He said: "Some would say you are just a nuisance. Those people would not have read the victim impact statement, where the effect on the victim's life has been devastating.

"It was hoped that you would get treatment and help in a hospital setting.

"Unfortunately the past few months have demonstrated to those who have cared for you that you are not willing to engage in any help that has been offered to you."