A MAN made life a misery for the widow he claimed he loved by deluging her with scores of unwanted text messages and phone calls, York magistrates heard..

The actions of Leslie Robert Brown, 62, drove the woman to take overdoses as he sent her dozens of texts a day, said Katy Varlow, prosecuting.

On one day, he sent 22 texts between 3.30pm and 8pm including saying he wanted to live with her. She didn't reply to any of them.

“Due to the strain of the harassment, she has started drinking, her physical and mental health have been really affected,” said the associate prosecutor.

“She has taken several insulin overdoses because of how the defendant has made her feel.

“She just wants the defendant to leave her alone so she can get on with her life.”

Brown, of Saxon Court, Sherburn-in-Elmet, pleaded guilty to harassing the woman from November 11 to February 22.

The period included a gap for most of January while police had her phone so they could download his texts.

He claimed in a police interview he was worried about the woman but that he “does silly things when drunk,” said Ms Varlow.

Magistrates made a restraining order for two years banning him from contacting the woman in any way directly or indirectly or going to her house.

He was also fined £300 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and an £85 statutory surcharge.

He represented himself and said: “I just want it out of the way. I have had enough of it.”

He made claims about the woman’s past conduct towards him, which were denied by the prosecution.