ORLANDO, Fla. -- Former astronaut Lisa Nowak pleaded guilty on Tuesday to burglary charges after a 2007 attack on a romantic rival, but she was initially charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.

Nowak was sentenced to one year of probation and will spend no time in jail in relation to an attack on Colleen Shipman at Orlando International Airport in February 2007.

In court on Tuesday, Shipman said she still fears for her life every day.

"Lisa Nowak hunted me down and attacked me in a dark parking lot," Shipman said during her emotional testimony.

In 2007, Orlando police Sgt. Barb Jones said police believed Nowak intended to kidnap Shipman. Shipman testified that she thinks Nowak was trying to kill her.

Attempted murder charges were eventually dropped against Nowak and the state charged her with kidnapping.

The prosecution had previously indicated it intended to send Nowak to prison for life, but their case has suffered some serious blows.

A judge ruled that Orlando police failed to properly notify Nowak of her right to remain silent, so none of her videotaped confessions could be used in court. In addition, Shipman's credibility came into question when the defense uncovered a report from airport paramedics stating that Shipman denied any direct contact with pepper spray.

In court, Shipman testified that Nowak had sprayed her with pepper spray and it "felt like acid."

Prosecutors struck a plea agreement with Nowak allowing her to plead guilty to lessened charges of burglary and battery.

Prosecutors maintained they still had a strong case against Nowak, but after vigorously seeking a life sentence for a woman police originally thought was an aspiring killer, prosecutors are content for her to be punished as a common burglar.

For now, Nowak is still an active duty captain in the Navy, but military officials said her chief Naval officer will soon be reviewing the entire criminal case. The judge said he believed Nowak could lose her job and retirement benefits after pleading guilty to a felony.