TEESSIDE SCAFFOLDER
Well-known member
A 42-year-old scaffolder who subjected women to a string of obscene phone calls was today jailed for six months.
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"I don’t think I’ll be able to forget about this until this sick man is caught and punished."
One of Whelan’s victims
Stephen Whelan of Hawthorn Road, Gayton, denied the offences but was convicted of 10 counts of making nuisance calls, after a two-day trial at King’s Lynn magistrates’ court last month.
This afternoon impact statements from victims were read out in court. They included a woman in her 90s, a recently-widowed woman in her 80s and a woman in her 70s.
Yvonne Neill, prosecuting, said the sexually-explicit calls had had “a terrible effect” on them.
In her statement, Whelan’s most elderly victim said: “I have not been able to get this out of my mind, I have not been sleeping well.
“I have been worried about this male coming round me house, he said he was coming round. I will never forget the calls.”
Ms Neill said one woman had worked for the Samaritans for six years.
“Even with her training she was absolutely terified,” she said. “She was shaking and crying in her own home.”
The woman added: “The whole incident has left me upset and afraid to go out. I will not walk the dog, I will not look at anyone while I’m out in case it’s him. I feel very vulnerable when I’m out.”
Another victim said: “I don’t think I’ll be able to forget about this until this sick man is caught and punished.”
Whelan targeted women living in Gayton and North Wootton. He called them at their workplace and at home, making references to their appearance, where they lived and other personal details.
Detectives traced the calls to a mobile phone being used in the Gayton area and a local business had the number listed as a contact for Whelan.
Ms Neill said when he was arrested, in June 2010, police believe he swallowed a SIM card.
Whelan was charged with making malicious calls via a telecommunications system under the Communications Act 2003 between April 20 and May 4 last year.
In mitigation Ian Graham, for Whelan, said: “He understands there’s going to be an inevitable term or imprisonment.
“It’s a difficult matter to mitigate on, because Mr Whelan still maintains his innocence on these matters.”
Whelan was jailed for six months - the maximum sentence for the offences for which he had been charged.
A restraining order was also made, which forbids him from contacting his victims in any way.
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"I don’t think I’ll be able to forget about this until this sick man is caught and punished."
One of Whelan’s victims
Stephen Whelan of Hawthorn Road, Gayton, denied the offences but was convicted of 10 counts of making nuisance calls, after a two-day trial at King’s Lynn magistrates’ court last month.
This afternoon impact statements from victims were read out in court. They included a woman in her 90s, a recently-widowed woman in her 80s and a woman in her 70s.
Yvonne Neill, prosecuting, said the sexually-explicit calls had had “a terrible effect” on them.
In her statement, Whelan’s most elderly victim said: “I have not been able to get this out of my mind, I have not been sleeping well.
“I have been worried about this male coming round me house, he said he was coming round. I will never forget the calls.”
Ms Neill said one woman had worked for the Samaritans for six years.
“Even with her training she was absolutely terified,” she said. “She was shaking and crying in her own home.”
The woman added: “The whole incident has left me upset and afraid to go out. I will not walk the dog, I will not look at anyone while I’m out in case it’s him. I feel very vulnerable when I’m out.”
Another victim said: “I don’t think I’ll be able to forget about this until this sick man is caught and punished.”
Whelan targeted women living in Gayton and North Wootton. He called them at their workplace and at home, making references to their appearance, where they lived and other personal details.
Detectives traced the calls to a mobile phone being used in the Gayton area and a local business had the number listed as a contact for Whelan.
Ms Neill said when he was arrested, in June 2010, police believe he swallowed a SIM card.
Whelan was charged with making malicious calls via a telecommunications system under the Communications Act 2003 between April 20 and May 4 last year.
In mitigation Ian Graham, for Whelan, said: “He understands there’s going to be an inevitable term or imprisonment.
“It’s a difficult matter to mitigate on, because Mr Whelan still maintains his innocence on these matters.”
Whelan was jailed for six months - the maximum sentence for the offences for which he had been charged.
A restraining order was also made, which forbids him from contacting his victims in any way.
