Cat farm protester Cynthia O'Neill lost her appeal against conviction at Oxford Crown Court.

Mrs O'Neill, 60, of Milton-Under-Wychwood, was found guilty of harassing the owner of Hillgrove Farm, Christopher Brown, on June 11 at Witney Magistrates' Court.

The court heard that under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997,Mrs O'Neill had pursued a course of conduct that amounted to harassment. This included blocking the driveway of Mr Brown's house as he tried to leave and shouted abuse at him and Mr Brown and his family through a megaphone.

Jeremy Chipperfield, def- ending, said: argued yesterdaythat Mrs O'Neill's protests were simply a statement of her case and did not go beyond the bounds of reasonableness. "Protests are bound to be unpleasant for someone who hears them." he said.

But Clifford Mailer, prosecuting, said that Mrs O'Neill's protests were not simply against what was happening at Hillgrove, but were aimed at Mr Brown personally.

He said: "You want to make his life there intolerable, don't you? Your activities are intruding into his space and disrupting his peace."

Dismissing the appeal, Judge Harold Wilson said she had completely failed to recognise that protest had a boundary beyond which it became harassment.

The original penalty of a £75 fine, £50 costs and an order banning her from within a mile of Hillgrove Farm or contacting Mr Brown and his family were upheld. She was ordered to pay an extra £75 costs.

Mrs O'Neill vowed to take her fight to the European Court. She told the court: "British justice stinks, if I am guilty of harassment send me to prison, don't give me a stinking fine."

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