Men who cut down the sycamore in Sycamore Gap in court

Oreo

Why? Did you travel there just to see a sycamore tree?

Well, you've called people who think it was very wrong to cut down such an old, iconic tree as suffering from hysteria and people from all over the world coming to see it as idiotic.

Presumably the Northumberland National Park Authority, the National Trust, Northumbria Police, the DPP and other interested parties are all idiotic too.

Now now * Callistemon21*
Lets have this correct please.I thought there was hysteria surrounding the felling of this tree ( a couple of others thought so too) and OTT comments about it, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a wrong thing to do.It clearly was, but as stated there have been many worse tree related fellings carried out in the UK.
Yes I do think if anyone travelled there just to see the tree it was idiotic, imo.

All the institutions you mention are bothered by loss of revenue, but they needn’t worry cos the stump is now as famous as the tree and considered worthy of many a selfie.

Disgusting act of vandalism
I find the idea they walk into court wearing balaclavas, face coverings irritating. Attention seeking idiots

Just - why? when you see the pix its so incomprehensible

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-69011665

A selfie, what on earth are you on about? There are lots of beautiful places in the world, are they to be doomed because people like to take a pic? I do think this case will probably have some grudge or argument behind it between NT or Northumberland National Park but will wait and see. However, I love and respect our great heritage and Hadrian's Wall will still remain a popular walk for many to enjoy I'm sure. The walkers I met along the way keep to the designated paths, value the beauty, enjoy the history, whilst also bringing a lot of revenue to the area through cafe's, hotels, camping sites, pubs etc. They all benefit and help to maintain this wonderful historic site.

Well I live in Cumbria and so people will know who they are and if found guilty everyone here will remember - so whatever their punishment the locals will know and remember and hopefully everyone will know their families are innocent

There is no reason on earth which could justify felling such a beautiful iconic tree in such a very special location. As far as I can tell the tree and its location has no connection with any political or social cause. So I'm still totally bemused and need to know WHY they thought they had to chop it down?

I think that many people are misinterpreting the significance of cutting down this tree.

It is not significant because it was a tree It is significant because it was a visible landmark, that couldn't have been more perfectly placed, if it had been carefully planted.

It was an icon on the way the Angel of the North or Leaning Tower of Pisa is. An iconic item in position and view that people did travel to see when they were in the area.

However, when I started this thread the real thing that was outraging me was that it was possible for the two accused to turn up for court, not looking ashamed but seemingly swaggering and posturing and preening themselves for the press, their faces completely hidden by gimp masks.

court drawings

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1899392/first-picture-sycamore-gap-tree-suspects

Stupid Vandalism for sure, I’m surprised the tree had not got protected status, there are regulations around felling trees and landowners are only allowed a small quantity felled without a licence.
It was in the NP maybe there are more regulations that cover the felling, it would be interesting to see what regulation or law they are charged with breaking.

The District Judge, wisely, decided that it had generated so much emotion and outrage that it should go to a Crown Court.

Doubtless, if these two are found guilty they will get an appropriate penalty. And due to the frenzy of interest already, just knowing their names will be enough for the army of Internet amateur detectives to run them to ground.

Katie590

Stupid Vandalism for sure, I’m surprised the tree had not got protected status, there are regulations around felling trees and landowners are only allowed a small quantity felled without a licence.
It was in the NP maybe there are more regulations that cover the felling, it would be interesting to see what regulation or law they are charged with breaking.

Its criminal damage atm.

wiki
"The offence of criminal damage is an either way offence which attracts a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment. Where the damage value is less than £5,000, the case must be tried summarily and attracts a maximum sentence of 3 months' imprisonment and, or a fine of up to £2,500."

This is a UNESCO world heritage site. The penalties in a place like Pompei are extremely high if you even dare remove a pebble from its site. The wall was damaged when the tree was felled. I do hope the two responsible are given the maximum sentence otherwise other beautiful spots may find themselves vulnerable to similar vandalism by attention seekers.

karmalady

court drawings

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1899392/first-picture-sycamore-gap-tree-suspects

They look sorry now they're in court.
Good.

If found guilty, how could any judge determine a sentence for criminal damage of something which is priceless?

A price has been put on both:

Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31 are charged with criminal damage to property of a value over £5,000, namely “without lawful excuse, damaged a sycamore tree to the value of £622,191 belonging to the National Trust”.

They face a second charge of criminal damage to property valued under £5,000, namely Hadrian’s Wall, with the damage assessed to the Unesco World Heritage Site as being £1,144.

katie The tree was protected. I understand that there was tree preservation order on it. But if we are to enjoy things we cannot put barbed wire and sensors on everything that has value, whether, monetary, culturally, environmentally.

What we need to do is throw the book at the people that do damage these things that are special to all, whether it is Protestors, trying to damage the Magna Carta in pursuit of some, perceived, Great Cause, or two vandals destroying something, possible in pursuit of some petty grudge.

The tree was indeed owned by the NT, it was an iconic feature, they can put whatever value the choose on it. You can’t just damage someone else’s property without consequences.
If the 2 men are proven guilty they will go to jail and if they have any money fined heavily too.

We do have to wait to check if they are guilty, before we condemn their behaviour. But if it is them, wearing masks indicates to me that they are perfectly aware that what they did was wrong. If you think what you do is ok then why would you need to wear a mask?

I just don’t understand why they did it.
It is very sad but how old was the tree?
I think sycamores grow pretty fast so a new, large specimen would soon be a decent size, if given a little temporary shelter.
It’s bleak and windy up there so it would probably grow to a similar shape. They might even be able to transplant one from a similar exposed site locally.

I cannot comment on this case, as I know nothing about it, but the men's motives may be much the same as the Danes currently doing the same.

They are well off and belong to the "ME, ME, ME generation" and chop trees down because they happened to be impeding their view from their garden, and they seem neither to care nor to know that we may all cut our own trees down, but not other peoples'!

A sycamore tree has no great intrinsic value, just as paint marks on a canvas have no intrinsic value, but that sycamore in that position was of inestimable value to so many, and even to people seeing it for the first time, fallen to the ground on that spot, vandalised for who knows what reason, it’s destruction was heartbreaking.

It’s good that people should feel so moved by the loss of a tree that, just by growing in that particular spot, created beauty. I’m an idiot then, Oreo, but I’m not alone.

I’d like those two men to feel ashamed of what they’ve done, but I wonder if they’re capable.

I just can't fathom why they'd do it. No an easy task either. I suppose it wasn't protected or guarded because it wouldn't occur to authorities that anyone could be so mindless as to do such a stupid thing.

It was an iconic tree in an area of outstanding beauty and ancient history. Many people, myself included, will never see that tree now. How many years will it take for a replacement to grow?

It's unbelievable what some people will do.