A YOUNG woman has been spared a jail sentence in "wholly exceptional circumstances" after helping to try to intimidate a witness.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Olivia O'Mara, 22 of Brynmoor, Bolton, had become involved in a plot to persuade a kidnapping victim not to support the prosecution of the perpetrators.

At the time O'Mara was the partner of Joshua Duffy, one of the kidnappers, and according to prosecutor Andrew Evans was the "driving force" behind attempts to convince the victim to drop charges.

Mr Evans said: "Olivia O'Mara was the catalyst behind this."

The case had arisen after vigilantes, Harrison Campbell and Joshua Duffy, were jailed in June this year after they kidnapped, beat and stripped a man they accused of stealing a scooter before dumping him in an isolated layby.

They had dragged their victim into a car off Halliwell Road on February 23 before assaulting him and dumping him in a layby near Rivington.

Mr Evans told Bolton Crown Court how O'Mara had subsequently directed messages to be sent to the victim telling him to drop the case.

But Colin Buckle, defending, told the court that, though cases like these usually merit jail sentences there were reasons why O'Mara's sentence could be suspended.

He argued that she had no previous convictions, that her relationship with Duffy was now over and that as a final year student at university she had good prospects for the future.

O'Mara had also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice on October 15.

This Mr Buckle claimed, made a jail sentence necessary.

He said: "May I also say, that she is terrified of the prospect."

Judge Walsh accepted the argument that O'Mara's actions were "completely out of character",that these were "wholly exceptional circumstances" and that she was unlikely to offend again.

The judge also felt that her future prospects would be "adversely affected" by going to prison and that she "hoped to be a productive member of society in the future".

Judge Walsh added: "It is unlikely that you will trouble the criminal courts again."

O'Mara was sentenced to a two-year community order and 180 hours of unpaid work.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced at a later date at a youth court after admitting the same offence.