LONDON, January 9 (RAPSI) - A jury has found Tim Haries, a campaigner of Fathers4Justice, guilty of defacing a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Last June Tim Haries, 42, sprayed the word “help” on the Queen’s portrait that was on display at the Westminster Abbey. The abbey had purchased the painting by Ralph Heimans for £160,000 ($263,315). Restoration will cost some £7,300 ($12,013).

In his closing speech at Southwark Crown Court, the offender said that the purpose of his act was to attract the public’s attention to the “social catastrophe” of fathers prevented from seeing their children. “I believe that contact denial is a hate crime and an abuse of children's fundamental rights,” he said.

Fathers4Justice has said it had not authorized Haries’ act of protest.

Haries’sentence will be announced on February 5.