LAURA Mitchell has lost her appeal against her conviction for murder.

The 33-year-old was convicted of the murder of Andrew Ayres in 2007 by joint enterprise.

But today the Court of Appeal rejected her appeal against the conviction which was prompted by a change in the law on joint enterprise last year.

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A member of her legal team told the T&A that "everyone was in uproar" after the decision was announced.

Charlotte Henry said Mitchell, who listened to the hearing on a video link from prison, was visibly distraught, as was her mother and sister.

Mitchell's legal team and campaigners trying to abolish joint enterprise were hopeful that she had a chance of winning the appeal based on her evidence that she was on the other side of the car park at the time and could not have foreseen what happened after an earlier fracas in which she admitted she was involved.

The case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission because they thought there was a real possibility that the conviction would be quashed if the evidence was heard by a jury now.

But the three Appeal Court justices who heard the case - Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Nicol and Mr Justice Pepperall - ruled that because she was part of the earlier altercation she must have foreseen what could have happened later and so a jury would have come to the same conclusion and therefore Mitchell's conviction was safe.

The change in the law on joint enterprise by the Supreme Court meant that juries should consider all the evidence when considering whether someone had foresight.

Charlotte Henry said that she thought Mitchell was in a 'win-win' situation because if she won the appeal she would be free and if she lost the case could be taken to the Supreme Court where she could win on human rights grounds.

But she said the fact that the Appeal Court still thought the conviction was safe would mean there was little chance they would be given permission to take it to the Supreme Court.

She said: "We are hugely disappointed. We are desperate to change the law at the Supreme Court. It should be given the chance to review it."

Mitchell, of Buttershaw, was sentenced to life with a minimum 13 and a half years for murder and three and a half years concurrently for violent disorder.

Her boyfriend Michael Hall, 24, and 20-year-old Henry Ballantyne were convicted of murder and violent disorder arising out of the death of Mr Ayres who died from his injuries sustained in the car park of the King's Head, Halifax Road, Buttershaw. Carl Holmes, 21, of Buttershaw, admitted the murder of Mr Ayres, from Queensbury.