A Llansannan pensioner has been convicted of breaching a restraining order by attending a neighbour's property and posting comments online.

Philip John Coombes, 70, denied five charges which involved his neighbour Karl Brown at Y Ddol Farm but he was convicted of four charges by a jury at Mold Crown Court.

He was cleared of one charge at the direction of Judge David Hale.

Coombes was fined £1,000 with a £100 surcharge and the judge made a new restraining order which bans him completely from entering Y Ddol farm or its access road.

The judge said that he should pay the fines within 14 days or face six months imprisonment in default.

He is not to block the access lane and he is not to post anything online about Mr Brown, his farm or any business he or his partner run.

Previously he was allowed to enter the access lane of the neighbouring property to inspect a drain which ran from his own property.

But the court was told that Welsh Water had confirmed that no one else had authority to inspect the drain.

The judge said that any contact between Coombes and Mr Brown for such matters as the maintenance of a wall or hedge should be done via solicitors.

Prosecuting barrister Matthew Curtis said that a restraining order was made at LLandudno magistrates' court in |July 2018

In October of last year the defendant reported Mr Brown to Conwy Council for cutting down a protected tree.

Mr Brown said that the tree was not a protected Denbigh Plum Tree as claimed by the defendant and had been properly felled because it was a danger.

He had consent to do so and there had been no damage to the drains - which had been confirmed by CCTV inspection - and no branches were left over a manhole cover which would prevent the defendant from inspecting the drain.

The defendant had been seen on CCTV and directly by himself on the property and he had reported the matter to the police.

Photographs of his property and posts about the tree had been placed on the defendant's online blog

The defendant represented himself but barrister Matthew Dunford was appointed by the court to question Mr Brown on his behalf.

Mr Dunford suggested that his client was on the driveway to inspect the drain, he alleged it had been covered by branches and on one occasion he had been invited to go to Y Ddol by a council tree officer.

The barrister also said that none of the blogs referred to Mr Brown by name but the complainant said that they clearly referred to him.

The defendant did not give evidence in his own defence but denied the offences and said that he himself felt vulnerable.

The judge was told that the defendant had previous convictions including harassment against others in Llansannan.

Judge Hale told the jury that it may not have been the kind of trial they would have expected to deal with in the crown court.

He said it should have been dealt with at the magistrates' court and that substantial costs had been incurred by having the trial in the crown court.