A MOTHER-OF-SIX who beat her former sister-in-law, keeping her as a domestic slave, yesterday lost her appeal to have her conviction overturned.

In what Mr Justice Stanley Burnton described as grotesque and degrading treatment, Antonia Pearson-Gaballonie beat Veronica Sandeman, 26, over a two-year period and forced her to work naked.

Pearson-Gaballonie, 36, was convicted in September last year of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, false imprisonment and making threats to kill.

She was sentenced in York Crown Court to seven years in jail.

Her husband, Neil Pearson, 36, was convicted of aiding and abetting her to commit an assault, and was sentenced to two years in prison.

The Court of Appeal, in London, heard that Pearson-Gaballonie, of New Lane, York, was previously married to Miss Sandeman's brother.

She forced her to look after her six children, clean the house naked and made her beg for food.

Mr Justice Burnton said the victim was beaten regularly and had her hair cut off.

He said: "She was the subject of terrible mistreatment and prevented from leaving the house."

Pearson-Gaballonie appealed against her conviction on the grounds that she was not present at her trial.

However, Mr Justice Burnton said the proceedings had been initially delayed when she took a medication overdose and was incapacitated.

The trial judge had warned that if there were any further delays, he would go ahead with the case.

When she took a second overdose, the trial judge began the hearing without Pearson-Gaballonie. In dismissing her appeal, Mr Justice Burnton said it was a deliberate attempt to avoid trial and that her conviction had not been undermined because she had given instructions to her solicitor.

Pearson-Gaballonie and Pearson also had appeals against sentence rejected