A vegan campaigner who was found guilty of spitting at a woman she thought was wearing a fur coat is appealing her conviction.
Dylan Roffey, 24, was convicted last month of spitting at Rhiannon Boyle at Brighton Station on 5 January.
She had claimed she had been speaking in a friendly way – but district judge Amanda Kelly preferred the evidence of Miss Boyle and her friend Helen Mitchell who said she had deliberately spat at them.
At Hove Crown Court yesterday, her barrister Gregory Fishwick said the basis of the appeal was “whether there was a deliberate spit at all or whether it was part of a normal conversation or heated debate.
After the September 2 conviction at Brighton Magistrates Court, Roffey was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, and pay £500 in court costs, £150 compensation to Ms Boyle and an £85 victim surcharge.
Later in September, she was convicted of causing criminal damage at McDonald’s by throwing fake blood made of flour, water and red vegan food dye over the floors and walls.
She was sentenced to another 60 hours of unpaid work, plus £50 compensation to McDonald’s, costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £85.
A two-hour appeal hearing is scheduled for November 15 at Hove Crown Court.
I have been a vegetarian since 1978 and I am not in favour of fur coats but I do not see why this form of loutish behaviour should be tolerated. Our society has lost its respect for itself and its members. Spitting can be an assault and as such should be punished with a short period of imprisonment. I hope the judges readjust the sentence accordingly.
Spitting at a person, having tantrums, making a premeditated mess in a food outlet: hardly the actions of a sane person! Has this strange woman had a psychiatric assessment prior to being tried and punished?
Social graces appear to have escaped from the mentality and actions of this Dylan Roffey and I really do question if we have let her down by not assessing her mental capacity prior to judgement and punishment.