Zeta-Jones stalker 'fit for trial'

A woman accused of threatening to kill actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and “feed her to the dogs” is mentally fit to stand trial, a psychiatrist has concluded.

Dawnette Knight faces stalking charges after allegedly making a series of violent threats against the Swansea-born Oscar-winner.

Knight was ordered to undergo psychiatric tests after taking a suspected overdose hours before an earlier court appearance.

Court-appointed psychiatrist Dr Kal Sharma told Knight’s lawyer Richard Herman that his report declared the unemployed 33-year-old fit to stand trial.

Mr Herman said the written report was pending but relayed its findings to a court in Los Angeles.

Knight is next due before Judge John Riley at Los Angeles Superior Court on September 8.

Unemployed Knight was arrested on June 3 at her Beverly Hills apartment.

She is charged with one count of stalking and 24 counts of making criminal threats.

If convicted, she could face up to 19 years in prison.

A day before Knight overdosed on barbiturates, Chicago star Zeta-Jones appeared before the court to tell of Knight’s alleged reign of terror.

She said she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown as a result of the “satanic” threats.

“I’ve never in my life had anything or had anyone say anything to me so satanic,” said Zeta-Jones, 34, in the pre-trial hearing.

“This will affect me for the rest of my life.”

One of the letters threatened to have Zeta-Jones “shredded to pieces” and another vowed to cut her up “like meat on a bone and feed her to the dogs“.

Another letter included an invitation to Zeta-Jones’s funeral.

Others referred to the violent deaths of President John F Kennedy and OJ Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown Simpson.

It is alleged that Knight made the threats over an 18-month period because she was obsessed with Zeta-Jones’s film star husband Michael Douglas, 59.

Knight, who is in custody on £550,000 (€817,780) bail, is engaged and wants to be a child psychologist.

She has already apologised for making the threats.

In a letter sent last month, she said she was a “confused young woman“, obsessed with Douglas.

Her lawyer said previously that Knight had a “girlish crush on Michael Douglas“.