A NORTH Yorkshire farm worker who made late-night obscene and abusive phone calls to two widows has been jailed for four months.

Robert Turner Askin, 28, told one of his victims he would sexually assault her, Selby magistrates heard.

Askin, of West Haddlesey, had admitted at an earlier hearing two offences of sending a false message by telephone on October 10 last year.

The court heard he made repeated calls to the women, waking them with the sound of heavy breathing or remaining silent.

Colette Dixon, prosecuting, said Askin called one victim at 1am and asked what she was wearing.

"She was then woken at 2am by the telephone ringing. It was the same male caller," Ms Dixon said. He then made an obscene suggestion to the woman.

"She put the telephone down in a state of shock. Immediately he rang and repeated what he said."

The woman was shocked and disgusted and had to arrange for a friend to stay for the next few nights. Askin called the other woman shortly before midnight. He did not speak.

Askin rang again at 1am and the woman heard the sound of heavy breathing.

The woman complained to police. Askin was arrested after British Telecom investigated.

Richard Pinto, mitigating, said the calls were made when Askin was "inebriated".

He had chosen the women's phone numbers at random from a contacts book of his family's farming business.

"In a drunken haze two of the numbers that came out were those particular ladies. They were not targeted on the basis they were recently widowed," Mr Pinto said.

Askin was ordered to pay each of the women £250 compensation and £70 court costs.

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