A MOTHER appeared in court yesterday after more than 70 silent phone calls were made to her estranged husband in one weekend.

Angela Maddy, 42, pleaded guilty to harassment of her husband, Anthony, by making nuisance calls to him on November 26 and 27. She was given a conditional discharge for a year by Harrogate magistrates.

Maddy, of Belmont Road, Harrogate, who was also ordered to pay £50 costs, was said by Steven Ovenden, prosecuting, to have made the calls on her two mobile phones and to have hung up when they were answered.

Mr Ovenden said caller display on Mr Maddy's home phone showed the origin of the calls and Maddy was arrested.

Clive Farndon, mitigating, said Maddy, a woman of good character before the calls, had been married for 23 years.

But in recent years, she had become depressed and had not received the support she felt she should have had from her partner.

''Indeed, there has been a definite absence of help and support,'' he said.

In October, the couple separated, but Maddy, who has two children, had been contacted by her husband, by phone, text message and in person, suggesting reconciliation. But each time the idea of getting back together had been withdrawn.

''Everything got on top of her,'' said Mr Farndon. ''It was a pressure cooker situation and she reacted by making numerous unwarranted calls to her husband over one weekend.''

The court heard Maddy and her husband now accepted their marriage was at an end and that divorce proceedings had started.