TV gardener Peter Cundall guilty over mill protest

TV gardener Peter Cundall has lost his battle against a charge over a pulp mill protest, but he has vowed to continue demonstrating.

Peter Cundall

TV gardener Peter Cundall's long fight against a criminal charge arising from an anti-pulp mill protest has ended with a magistrate finding the offence proven.

In the Magistrates Court in Hobart today, Magistrate Chris Webster found that Cundall had failed to comply with a police direction outside Parliament House in November 2009, The Mercury reports.

He did not impose a conviction on the condition the 83-year-old not breach the Police Offences Act for three years, although Cundall will have to pay $47 court costs.

Cundall was among 57 mainly middle-aged and elderly protesters arrested outside Parliament House in November 2009 during a protest against the proposed pulp mill in the Tamar Valley in the state's north.

Parliament's sergeant-at-arms Shane Donnelly asked the protesters to move from the building's entrance to the lawns a short distance away.

All those arrested were charged with failing to comply with a police direction.

Magistrate Webster found the direction was reasonable and that the protesters could have move 15m and continued unmolested.

Flanked by two dozen supporters on the steps of the court, Mr Cundall said he was disappointed the charge had been found proven.

Read more about Peter Cundall's court appearance at The Mercury.