Sycamore Gap tree verdict

Is it so easy to dismiss anything one has heard re a court case ?

The judge will direct the jury.

If they are swayed by things they have seen in social media that would become evident when discussions take place and the Chairman should take charge. Sentencing is not down to the jury.

It's interesting as I was speaking to someone who is a law expert and they said they don't think they will be able to charge them with much as at the end of the day as it wasn't even a protected tree

I live far south and have never been to that part of the country so hadn’t heard about this tree until it was cut down. It did look lovely in its position by the ancient wall but understand it’s not dead as shoots can be seen. It may be a while, but good news.

As for prison I am not sure that is an option or the right choice. A lengthy Community service woukd probably be a better sentence.
Prisons have few empty cells and shoukd be reserved for those who are a danger to others.

JaneJudge - but they did also damage the wall.

It was vandalism from 2 morons. I hope they are punished appropriately but talk of a 10 year jail term is far far longer than they’d get for serious offences against a child or an animal.

NotSpaghetti

JaneJudge - but they did also damage the wall.

yes, I suppose repaying the cost will be part of the sentencing

watermeadow

It was vandalism from 2 morons. I hope they are punished appropriately but talk of a 10 year jail term is far far longer than they’d get for serious offences against a child or an animal.

A tree is a living thing is it not?

I did suggest at the time of the trial that these men were unwise not to plead guilty, as I understand that there was plenty of evidence of their crime ( most of it supplied by them, it seems!)
A swift sentencing hearing would have followed.
By electing for a trial, they have exposed themselves to significant media attention over a fair amount of time, allowing many people to know all about them. I am not sure that this has done them any favours amongst locals.

Oreo

Councils and builders are the worst culprits where cutting down healthy trees are concerned.

Yes Oreo, completely agree with u 😒

JaneJudge

It's interesting as I was speaking to someone who is a law expert and they said they don't think they will be able to charge them with much as at the end of the day as it wasn't even a protected tree

They've been charged, tried and convicted of criminal damage

I suppose I meant sentencing

Galaxy

It was awful, but Huw Edwards for example received a suspended sentence, I know who I would rather have out in society.

Yes indeed Galaxy, two twits who got carried away. Their certainly not evil monsters such as Edwards.
The tree will probably by regenerated from a scion taken from the original tree.
The two men are idiots not dangerous villains. I hate this mob-rule mentality & this inane trial by social media!
Can nobody think for themselves these days? 😒

M0nica

vegansrock

Well they are both as thick as bricks.

I was just paging down to say exactly the same thing.

I think the best punishment would be to put them in the stocks in the centre of town for a couple of days so that everyone can point at them and laugh.

The stocks for twerps like these two. Good idea...where are those rotten eggs?

"The tree will probably by regenerated from a scion taken from the original tree."

The original tree was about 200 years old so nobody alive now will see anything like a mature tree in its place.

Older trees are better for the environment in that they provide soil stability and store more carbon. They are better for wildlife in terms of habitat, food and biodiversity.

JaneJudge

It's interesting as I was speaking to someone who is a law expert and they said they don't think they will be able to charge them with much as at the end of the day as it wasn't even a protected tree

That’s what I thought, without a preservation order on it, it’s just a tree.
There’s a lovely sycamore not all that far from me, probably about the same age 100 years judging by the girth of the trunk and if vandals, either the Council kind, the builders kind or simply members of the public cut it down, there wouldn’t be much comeback, a fine at most.
Interestingly, every time the Wall Sycamore is mentioned it gets older🤔100 years, then 150 years and now 200 years.
I think the first age looks about right.

Ziplok

ronib

I read there is to be a mental health assessment before sentencing in July. I wonder why such a report hadn’t been submitted as evidence before the verdict?

Why am I not surprised by this?
It seems that it’s the go to excuse nowadays and makes a mockery of genuine mental ill health. People who are really suffering mental ill health need all the help they can get, but this band wagon element annoys me.

You are so right! ! I have been saying this for ages in previous posts (not just on here).

Why can’t they just move another mature tree to the site? There was nothing special about the original tree other than where it grew and its age. They’ve been replanting mature trees for a long time: there’s a company near my partners in Northumberland that specialises in it. The Alnwick Garden has mature trees from other countries. The man who perfected the technique lived not far from where I live and planted mature trees in a local country park in Victorian times.

Why not indeed MayBee70 it’s a good question.

The tree was special partly because of it age, is it acceptable
for thugs to demolish the countryside because things of natural beauty can be dug up and something similar can be planted in their place

No it certainly isn’t Anniebach but it’s an answer to those who wish to see a mature tree in that spot.
I don’t think a prison sentence is right at all, unless Councils face custodial sentences and building firms.

"The National Trust, which looks after the site with the Northumberland National Park Authority, said it was planted in the late 1800s by previous landowner John Clayton to be a "feature in the landscape", external".

So it is probably about 150 years old.

"The Northumberland National Park Authority said the site was its "most-photographed spot", external, and in late 2016 it was crowned English Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust's awards."

"It was also the scene of marriage proposals, sentimental moments and the scattering of ashes".

Sycamore are ten a penny, yes, but this was not just any old sycamore, because of its unique position, it became an icon, besides which it was on National Trust land.

external not sure where that word came from!

Anniebach

The tree was special partly because of it age, is it acceptable
for thugs to demolish the countryside because things of natural beauty can be dug up and something similar can be planted in their place

I never said it was acceptable or that the tree wasn’t special in its own way. Just that it would be possible to fill the aching gap left by the destruction of the original tree with a mature tree so people could still take beautiful photographs, make marriage proposals there now instead of waiting 100 years for the original ones seedlings to grow. The man was called William Barron. Just because I think transplanting another tree would take away some of the hurt caused by the trees destruction doesn’t mean that I’m minimising how tragic it was that it was cut down ( which I found heartbreaking).

Being pedantic, late 1800’s could be 1899 in which case it’s about 126 years old🤭
Doesn’t really matter of course.I think MayBee70 is onto something by suggesting another mature tree could be planted there if wanted.
It could be tho, that the sprouting stump is now a real draw to people, who knows?