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A woman was tearful this week as she faced charges for throwing a live crayfish into the ocean at a high-class seafood restaurant.

Emma Smart “sobbed” during her appearance in Bournemouth Crown Court on September 2, according to the Daily Mail.

A member of environmental advocacy group Extinction Rebellion, Smart allegedly stole a live crayfish from the tank at Catch at the Old Fish Market on April 10.

She then threw the crustacean into the ocean in what has been described as an act of animal activism.

The marine biologist was described as being “in a very clearly distressed state” by her lawyer, Raj Chada, during the plea hearing.

Judge Jonathan Fuller accepted Chada’s request for the 47-year-old to sit behind the dock.

Smart is accused of pushing a staff member at the restaurant out of the way as she rushed to dispose of the crayfish, in addition to charges of theft.

She pled not guilty to all charges.

Smart was previously arrested at the same restaurant after attempting to speak with Sir David Attenborough. Photo / Animal Rebellion.

In a surprising twist, Smart has a history of being arrested at the same restaurant.

She was taken into custody at the Catch in 2022 after she approached famed biologist Sir David Attenborough there.

According to the Independent, she hoped to give Attenborough a letter she had written him.

In a statement after her arrest she said, “The Catch is a symbol of excess and inequality in today’s world - Weymouth has average wages amongst the lowest in the UK and is at huge risk of sea level rises.”

She urged Attenborough to “leave a legacy of love, care, and of being the forerunner of a better world” by taking action on climate change.

“We don’t need another documentary series showing us that we are losing some 150 species going extinct globally every single day.”

Recently, a viral TikTok showed a local man pulling a crayfish from a live tank and throwing it across the restaurant.

Stuff reported that the August incident occurred at a University of Canterbury Rowing Club event in Riccarton.

In a statement, the club said there would be an internal review into the incident, which “does not reflect the values of the UC Rowing Club”.

The SPCA told Stuff it was “making enquiries” into the video.