DETAILS of a desperate phone call hairdresser Katrina O'Hara made after she realised police had freed the man who went on to murder her were revealed at her inquest.

Stuart Thomas was found to be "polite and plausible" during a police interview after he had been arrested for threatening to kill ex-girlfriend Katrina O'Hara.

A detective recommended Thomas, now aged 53, be released on bail but failed to inform Ms O'Hara of the news.

Instead she was forced to call them after Thomas had tried to indirectly contact her to get her to drop the charges against him.

Ms O'Hara, 44, had to make the call on her daughter-in-law's phone as police had seized her mobile for evidence.

The transcript of the call that was made six days before Thomas stabbed her to death was read out at her inquest yesterday.

She said: "I am calling on my daughter-in-law's phone as the police have got my phone.

"I gave a police statement 48 hours ago and was told I'd be informed if the person who was arrested was released on bail and I've not heard anything and I don't know if it is safe for me to go home.

"I'm now getting messages from the person who was arrested.

"This guy is blaming me for what he has done and I'm now fearing for my life."

Thomas had threatened to kill Ms O'Hara by crashing their car into a tree during a drive on Boxing Day 2015.

She made a complaint on December 29 and Thomas was arrested the following day.

The inquest heard evidence from DC Ian Davies, the officer in charge of the case, who interviewed Thomas for two hours before he was released on bail.

He said: "He (Thomas) came across as very plausible and very polite. He had given me no concerns that he was going to go away and hurt himself.

"He did make a comment in relation to the threats to kill I interviewed him on and he said he had not said what Katrina O'Hara had said he said.

"He had said that he felt like driving into the tree and killing himself.

"There were no concerns for me to raise with (the custody officer)."

Thomas was released at about 10.45pm on December 30 with conditions that he should not contact Ms O'Hara directly or indirectly.

DC Davies said he called Ms O'Hara's home phone number at 10.48pm that night to keep her abreast of the case but got no answer.

The officer said he spoke to Ms O'Hara on the evening of January 1 to give her an update after she had rung the police contact centre.

He said: "She was quite animated and upset as to why nobody had been in contact with her to tell her what was going on and I explained I had tried to ring her number.

"I told her Thomas's account from the interview and that he was released on bail on the conditions not to contact her directly or indirectly and if he did to call 999.

"I said we needed to do phone message downloads and get statements from her daughter Morgan and Thomas's wife before they could charge him.

"I said since Morgan was unavailable for the coming days I would arrange to visit the house to interview her on January 9."

Assistant coroner for Dorset Brendan Allen asked DC Davies if Ms O'Hara had told him during this conversation that she had been contacted by Thomas.He replied: "I don't recall that."

Ms O'Hara was murdered by Thomas at the barber shop she worked at on January 7, 2016.

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

The inquest at Bournemouth Town Hall continues.