Zeta-Jones to face woman accused of stalking her

OSCAR-WINNING actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is due to come face-to-face in court today with a woman accused of stalking and threatening to kill her.

Zeta-Jones will appear as a witness in the case of Dawnette Knight, an unemployed woman accused of 26 stalking offences against the actress.

A court in Los Angeles heard yesterday that Knight, 32, allegedly made the threats in letters to the Chicago star’s father-in-law, film legend Kirk Douglas.

Detective Teresa Garrett told Los Angeles Superior Court that an “obituary style” letter was sent to Kirk Douglas, father of Zeta-Jones’s husband Michael.

Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas are expected to take the stand as a judge decides whether there is enough evidence to order Knight to stand trial.

Detective Garrett told the court that as the letters grew “more and more threatening”, Zeta-Jones became “very upset”.

Police also said two death threats against Zeta-Jones were phoned to a hotel in Bermuda, where Michael Douglas had a financial interest. The first call came from a woman who said to tell Douglas “we are going to kill his wife, kill that bitch”. Knight has apologised for sending letters to the Douglases.

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

Knight, who was arrested on June 3, is in custody on bail of €900,000.

Her lawyer, Richard Herman, said that Knight had a “girlish crush on Michael Douglas” and sent him a note telling him she would show him “a good time”.

If convicted, Knight would face a maximum of 19 years in jail.