A WOMAN convicted of a public order offence for protesting during Prime Minister David Cameron’s Christmas lights switch-on in Witney will learn the outcome of her appeal today.

Bethan Tichborne, 28, of Campbell Road, Oxford, tried to climb over a barrier at the event with a homemade placard because she believed Government cuts were leading to the deaths of people with disabilities.

The former Oxford University student was restrained by plain clothes protection officers and convicted of using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress after a trial at Oxford Magistrates’ Court.

She was fined £225 and told to pay a £22 victims’ surcharge and £500 costs.

Yesterday during an appeal hearing against her conviction and sentence at Oxford Crown Court prosecutor Neil Moore suggested she was trying to get “as far as possible” towards Mr Cameron.

But Tichborne, who used to work with children with special needs, told a judge and two magistrates she had only intended to stand in front of the barrier and protest where people could see her.

She said: “I wanted to make a political point, I didn’t think I was doing anything criminal.”

Teacher Louise Conroy, who was at the event with a school choir, gave evidence that she had heard Tichborne swearing repeatedly and struggling with police.

But the appellant denied this and argued that no one else, even the police officer restraining her, heard her use bad language.

Judge Gordon Risius said the court’s judgement would be announced this morning.