A DRUNKEN man who terrorised a woman and her mother-in-law in a car has kept his freedom - and a judge said she hoped the victims would understand.

Recorder Beverley Lunt had deferred sentence on Karl Hargreaves, 34, in May so that he could live at a rehabilitation unit in Birmingham and she said although he had only stayed three days he had not offended for nearly a year.

The judge said what he had done was serious and in her view "tailor-made," for a suspended jail term, but she feared there were not in law grounds on which she could say there were exceptional circumstances.

She added if Hargreaves had not committed the offence a long time ago and if he had not kept out of trouble prison would have been inevitable.

Recorder Lunt conditionally discharged the defendant for two years and added the complainants need not feel they had not been well served by the sentence as jail awaited Hargreaves if he put a foot wrong. Hargreaves, of the Cherry Tree Guest House, Blackburn, had earlier admitted affray.

Burnley Crown Court earlier heard how the defendant had looked full of hate as he leaned over the bonnet of the car, stared in at the women and then set about wrecking the vehicle after they had locked themselves inside. Hargreaves appeared angry, began shouting and pulled the windscreen wipers off.

The victims had been swimming at Hyndburn and were sitting in the car outside the mother-in-law's home chatting at about 10pm when the defendant struck.

Anthony Cross, defending, said the case was a difficult sentencing exercise. Hargreaves had rehabilitated himself and felt he now did not pose any problems to anybody.