Sycamore Gap tree verdict

Mindless act by a couple of morons but really people commit much worse crimes, harming people and property and don't get prison sentences.
I like vegansrock idea of community service to plant trees.

Grantanow

I doubt the SNP can plant 1,700 trees a day for the next 20 years.

The people building the wind farms are supposed to be doing the offsetting, not the Scottish National Party.

knspol

Mindless act by a couple of morons but really people commit much worse crimes, harming people and property and don't get prison sentences.
I like vegansrock idea of community service to plant trees.

It was mine.

Just saying 😁

It was 100 years old though ... & apparently had great sentimental value ..the site of many marriage proposals & cremation ashes as well as being an actual "landmark" . Insensitive laddish gobshites is probably an accurate mental assessment .. bet they just thought it would be a "laugh" ..thats why they have no actual "reason".

A few years ago, two young men took a BBQ onto the moor. It inadvertently set fire to the moor. They couldn't put the fir out so they reported it. straight away. I have great pictures from my from door of the fire, helicopter with water buckets and firemen. Quite frightening A large area of moor was burnt. Nesting birds killed. and fences burnt down.. The land owner asked the court that they given community orders. They were required to reseed heather and reinstate fences which took a long time and hard work. Everyone agreed that it was a better alternative than a custodial sentence or fine.
There are lots of things to consider and balance in sentencing.

Good idea

I agree, a senseless stupid act. But I think the men should be made to do community service rather than go to prison - maybe planting trees for example. Plus I wonder how many ancient, beautiful and important trees were felled to make way for the disastrous HS2 scheme? Anyone held responsible for those acts of vandalism? 🤔

Does everything that anyone does have to be attributed to a mental health condition? I despair.

They didn't just try to kill the tree, they destroyed a whole ecosystem living in it. Idiots.

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?

Possibly because they pleaded not guilty ...

I hear say they might have up to 10 years in prison. Rapists, wifebeaters and fraudsters didn't get that much.

Franski,they refuse to say! I would add more onto sentence.. I think 1/2 years inside plus a ton of community service...litter picking etc

I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to have been their defence barrister! I also wonder who told them that someone would believe the ridiculous lies they told. Like many grans I would also just like to know why they would do such a terrible destructive thing. I guess we will probably never know. Like most I was so upset at the demise of such an iconic tree, although of course there are worse violent crimes against humans.

It was not just the tree, it damaged Hadrians wall, a Unesco heritage site. Hope sentence reflects that. If they spraypainted or chopped Stonehenge or Westminster Abbey, would be outrage. Vandals need to be worried about the consequences.

2507C0

They didn't just try to kill the tree, they destroyed a whole ecosystem living in it. Idiots.

Will the pair of squirrels be giving evidence in court?

Allira

Grantanow

I doubt the SNP can plant 1,700 trees a day for the next 20 years.

The people building the wind farms are supposed to be doing the offsetting, not the Scottish National Party.

Whoever is supposed to be replacing 16 million trees it will take about 20 or more years after which they will take years to grow to maturity and become effective at removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Meanwhile the CO2 continues to build.

The argument there is that wind farms produce electricity that is not removing CO2 from the atmosphere as oil and gas and coal burning currently is.

You'd have to know much more than me about the relative benefits/losses.

What overly harsh sentence are you referring to?

Another news report about this despicable pair this morning.

The two men convicted of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree were suspects in an investigation into alleged homophobic assaults that took place around the same time they committed their infamous crime.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8v8leg97eo

I was just about to report the same news as you. GNW.

Two stupid men with a destructive and nasty sense of humour.

I am willing to bet that their homophobic attacks, which seemed to consist of throwing incing sugar in peoples faces, were seen by them as being a funny joke. 'It was only a joke, we didn't do them any harm' The words of nasty little bully's since time immemorial

How horrible, foul creatures

I've just read that report on the BBC website. What a peculiar and disgusting pair. I expect the icing sugar is some kind of allusion to homosexuality, being 'fairies' or something, just horrible.
What else have they done or were they planning? You have to wonder.

The mind set of these two men, vile

Kayteetay1

What overly harsh sentence are you referring to?

Well, some would no doubt want them flogged and hanged with maybe a day in the stocks first.

Anniebach

The mind set of these two men, vile

Vile, but not uncommon, Ab