THE son of a hairdresser murdered by her violent ex-boyfriend has told her inquest that police knew her life was in danger two weeks before her death.

Katrina O’Hara, 44, was stabbed to death days after jealous Stuart Thomas was released by police having been arrested for harassment.

Police were told by her family that Thomas had threatened to kill both himself and her, the inquest heard.

However, he was released on bail and no action was taken against him despite him twice breaching his bail conditions by indirectly contacting the mother-of-three in the subsequent days.

Thomas stabbed Ms O’Hara to death at her barbershop in Blandford on January 7, 2016.The 53-year-old denied murder but was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years in August 2016.

Ms O’Hara contacted police to voice concerns about ex-partner Thomas on November 17, 2015. Her son Kyle Stark also called police saying he feared for her life over the Christmas period after she confided in him about Thomas’ threats and violent outbursts.

On December 28 2015, Thomas was arrested on suspicion of harassment. His daughter then demanded Ms O’Hara drop the charges against him. However, her younger son Dean Stark said the police took ‘no action’ in response to this before Ms O’Hara was murdered.

In a written statement read out at an inquest which began in Bournemouth yesterday, Dean Stark, 29, said: “Some time over Christmas my brother Kyle called the police because we were so worried Stuart Thomas would kill my mum.”

A post-mortem examination by pathologist Dr Russell Delaney revealed Ms O’Hara died of two stab wounds to the front left side of her chest.

Ms O’Hara was originally from Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland and moved to southern England later in her life.

She lived with her daughter in the village of Okeford Fitzpaine, near Blandford.

The inquest, which is due to last three weeks, continues.