[News] Sycamore Gap Tree

[Zeberdi]

This type of mindless vandalism against nature makes me feel so sad - I still can’t watch the video.

(There’s plenty of whataboutery examples too before anyone jumps in with a whole list of examples where wildlife and habitat has been destroyed for no other reason than for the fun of it or spite).

Hope they get maximum sentences for the offence - pour les autres

 

[Easy 10]

Their "defence" was utterly risible. Glad to see the prosection drove a horse and cart through it, and the jury acted accordingly.
None of this suspended sentence bollocks. They should be serving time, if nothing else for their pathetic attempts at lying their way out of it.

 

[GT49er]

Their "defence" was utterly risible. Glad to see the prosection drove a horse and cart through it, and the jury acted accordingly.
None of this suspended sentence bollocks. They should be serving time, if nothing else for their pathetic attempts at lying their way out of it.

Slightly amazed that the jury took as long as they did, TBH. Another vote for the maximum sentence here.

 

[Easy 10]

Slightly amazed that the jury took as long as they did, TBH. Another vote for the maximum sentence here.

They took just over 5 hours to reach their verdict, so not particularly excessive. Due process has been followed, and these two scrotes will now pay the price. Although jail will probably be an upgrade on the caravans they were dwelling in.

 

[Norman Potting]

At least they can look forward to receiving a Gold Award for advanced Muppetry

 

[GT49er]

They took just over 5 hours to reach their verdict, so not particularly excessive. Due process has been followed, and these two scrotes will now pay the price. Although jail will probably be an upgrade on the caravans they were dwelling in.

Yes, I was surprised it took five hours.

 

[lost in london]

They're remanded already. Wanton, premediated destruction of nature, an icon and damage to a 2,000 year old monument, for a laugh, and then costing the taxpayer with an unnecessary trial ..... you might be in the minority.

Loved the R5 court report. For two weeks "one of the sharpest legal minds in northern England was up against two of the dimmest minds of the Carlisle area" as these two wasters tried to bamboozle the prosecution barrister.

I can't make up my mind on this and don't know why I'm not thinking they should be locked away for years. I hate what they did, they're morons. I also remind myself that they just cut down a tree that they shouldn't have cut down. The state paying for them to be in prison doesn't feel like a victory. Suspended sentence, fine them, get them on community payback rebuilding the wall or whatever, get something vaguely positive out of this rather than paying for them to be in prison.

No prison for any of these people; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y49pvzn0lo; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2n7vvgpno; https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/25082803.rochford-council-prosecute-men-illegally-felling-trees/

 

[Weststander]

I can't make up my mind on this and don't know why I'm not thinking they should be locked away for years. I hate what they did, they're morons. I also remind myself that they just cut down a tree that they shouldn't have cut down. The state paying for them to be in prison doesn't feel like a victory. Suspended sentence, fine them, get them on community payback rebuilding the wall or whatever, get something vaguely positive out of this rather than paying for them to be in prison.

No prison for any of these people; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y49pvzn0lo; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2n7vvgpno; https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/25082803.rochford-council-prosecute-men-illegally-felling-trees/

Definitely double standards. Sly landowners get woodsmen in on Sundays to illegally chop down TPO trees eg iconic elms on the site just developed at the south of Preston Park. The TPO officer pursued a prosecution, then the developer busted that company.

Imho anyone carrying out these acts should be criminally prosecuted by the police/cps and face jail.

As a significant taxpayer I’m fine with the cost of jail time.

Perhaps other people who set out to destroy nature & amenity to many, might think twice.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

I can't make up my mind on this and don't know why I'm not thinking they should be locked away for years. I hate what they did, they're morons. I also remind myself that they just cut down a tree that they shouldn't have cut down. The state paying for them to be in prison doesn't feel like a victory. Suspended sentence, fine them, get them on community payback rebuilding the wall or whatever, get something vaguely positive out of this rather than paying for them to be in prison.

No prison for any of these people; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y49pvzn0lo; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2n7vvgpno; https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/25082803.rochford-council-prosecute-men-illegally-felling-trees/

First two links not working for me. On the third, the defendants at least pled guilty and was heard at a magistrates court.

Edit: got the links working once I'd removed the semicolons. Again, looks like the defendants pled guilty and very hefty fines were handed out by magistrates.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

Definitely double standards. Sly landowners get woodsmen in on Sundays to illegally chop down TPO trees eg iconic elms on the site just developed at the south of Preston Park. The TPO officer pursued a prosecution, then the developer busted that company.

Imho anyone carrying out these acts should be criminally prosecuted by the police/cps and face jail.

As a significant taxpayer I’m fine with the cost of jail time.

Perhaps other people who set out to destroy nature & amenity to many, might think twice.

This is an important factor.

 

[chip]

I can't make up my mind on this and don't know why I'm not thinking they should be locked away for years. I hate what they did, they're morons. I also remind myself that they just cut down a tree that they shouldn't have cut down. The state paying for them to be in prison doesn't feel like a victory. Suspended sentence, fine them, get them on community payback rebuilding the wall or whatever, get something vaguely positive out of this rather than paying for them to be in prison.

No prison for any of these people; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y49pvzn0lo; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2n7vvgpno; https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/25082803.rochford-council-prosecute-men-illegally-felling-trees/

I'm conflicted on this too and find myself also agreeing with @Weststander. I won't be upset if they do go to prison but I'd also like to see them made to do something to ameliorate the damage, like you.

 

[Official Old Man]

I'm with #lost in london on this.
I shed a tear for the felling of the tree, it was a really stupid thing to do. But locking someone up for that?
BUT I get the feeling an idiot who goes out of his way to take a chain saw to the tree has done other things in his life.
And to plead not guilty, when they have video on their phones showing them doing it, are they all right in the head?
Love the 'in custody for their own protection'.

 

[lost in london]

Definitely double standards. Sly landowners get woodsmen in on Sundays to illegally chop down TPO trees eg iconic elms on the site just developed at the south of Preston Park. The TPO officer pursued a prosecution, then the developer busted that company.

Imho anyone carrying out these acts should be criminally prosecuted by the police/cps and face jail.

As a significant taxpayer I’m fine with the cost of jail time.

Perhaps other people who set out to destroy nature & amenity to many, might think twice.

Trouble is this sort of person is pretty hard of thinking. They barely think once let alone twice.

On balance I just don't think it's right to clog up already massively overcrowded prisons with someone who has cut down a tree just because the tree was in a couple of films and looked nice in photos.

 

[Weststander]

Trouble is this sort of person is pretty hard of thinking. They barely think once let alone twice.

On balance I just don't think it's right to clog up already massively overcrowded prisons with someone who has cut down a tree just because the tree was in a couple of films and looked nice in photos.

Have to agree to disagree. Nature, visual amenity, mean so much to so many.

Many others who do the damage are very shrewd, hopefully this is a turning point, a deterrent.

 

[Boys 9d]

Doesn't this warrant the same punishment as throwing tomato soup over an old master painting in an art gallery?

 

[Easy 10]

Doesn't this warrant the same punishment as throwing tomato soup over an old master painting in an art gallery?

It was behind protective glass I believe, so unlike the tree, no permanent damage done.

 

[Whoislloydy]

Why would someone do something like this? Total lack of respect for nature.

Now they have taken up two weeks of the courts time, god knows how many hours of police time. But you can bet these are the types of cretins who would moan about police "never doin nuffin"

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

It was behind protective glass I believe, so unlike the tree, no permanent damage done.

Damage done to the frame though ...

"The pair caused as much as £10,000 worth of damage to the artwork's gold-coloured frame when they targeted it at London's National Gallery".

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

I'm conflicted on this too and find myself also agreeing with @Weststander. I won't be upset if they do go to prison but I'd also like to see them made to do something to ameliorate the damage, like you.

The problem is that you can’t just replace the tree. If it was a wall or a building then maybe but you replace a tree of that age.

 

[clapham_gull]

Damage done to the frame though ...

"The pair caused as much as £10,000 worth of damage to the artwork's gold-coloured frame when they targeted it at London's National Gallery".

You've seen how much The Repair Shop charges these days though.