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Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

hexham-courant.co.uk

121–130 of 209 posts

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#121
post #54

So? It's just a tree, why should we care about it just because a random person planted a seed a hundred years ago?

Ah yes a member of the ever growing "why should I care about anything unless it personally effects me" crowd. May as well proudly bear a tatoo of the word selfish on your forehead. I imagine if someone chopped down a protected tree in an act of vandalism that you grew up seeing every day, carved your names in, or proposed under suddenly you would be filled with outrage after personally being effected.

Carving your name in a protected tree is an act of vandalism too, note.

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Court admissible evidence is more likely to turn up when it's front page news and people are digging though. Same with the recent story about a famous pub called the Crooked House, which mysteriously caught fire a month after a new owner took over the closed premises and was demolished remarkably swiftly. Because it generated a lot of outrage (not from regular patrons, but from people who liked how it looked), it got…

Rumours and arrests are one thing and not uncommon in any case, but has anyone been charged with a crime?

Rumours about organizations behind the incident are normally in local pubs rather than national newspapers though. The last couple of arrests were only today, with three more released on bail. Proving it in a courtroom is another thing, but it sounds to me like more resource than would usually be thrown at investigating a fire in an empty building.

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#124
post #91
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No the prosecution try to prove. The the judge, judges. Well that's how it's 'supposed' to work.

> Then the judge, judges. Unless it's a criminal offense and the defendant invoked his right to being judged by a jury.

Even then, the judge is still doing judging.

The jury determine if the defendant is guilty of charges or not, based on the evidence given during the trial. The judge still judges the admissibility of evidence, the conduct of the prosecution and defence, etc., and also determines the punishment or sentence, based on sentencing guidelines, if the jury find the defendant guilty of any charges.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/about-cps/how-a-criminal-case-works

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A boy has been arrested now: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arres...

Question 2: Should a 16 year old be able to get a chainsaw.

From a shop? From a parent? Or from an employer?

When it comes to employers, City and Guilds NPTC and Lantra chainsaw courses are only offered to people at the Minimum School Leaving Age and above. Since employers are not permitted under HSE regulations to let untrained people operate chainsaws, and since the training is not instant, this effectively bars 16-year-olds from getting chainsaws from their employers.

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's found they felled the tree then they're in a lot of trouble.

Not really. As the police say they are investigating whether a crime has been committed, because quite likely, there has not been. This is more likely a private matter between tenant and landlord - and unless the lease explicitly prohibits the felling of trees, then they haven’t broken their lease agreement. If it wasn’t the tenant, then at most it’s vandalism, property damage, and a small fine will be the result.

Criminal damage is definitely classified as a crime, hence the name, even if the punishment is (as you say) likely just a small fine.

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A boy has been arrested now: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arres...

Question 2: Should a 16 year old be able to get a chainsaw.

I will go ahead and assume that in the middle of nowhere and with no cameras in sight, the authorities may have used any available data (i.e. cell tower antennas information, social media tracking your phone's location 24/7, and so on).

Chainsaws like that cannot be handled by a random 16 boy, unless he is the son of Hulk or Thor. Perhaps the kid texted to a friend "we cut the treeeeee" or similar.. I would be VERY surprised to finally see proven that a 16yo did this.

Side note: I have used a chainsaw numerous times in my late teens cutting down branches for a fireplace. I could never manage to cut the tree trunk pieces, even on a chopped down tree. Branches (20cm diameter or less) were easy peasy. But a 60? 70cm diameter? Nah...

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#128
Can I just say this: BASTARD.

What kind of bastard destroys such a thing of natural beauty?

This bastard is not alone, there are other bastards out there. For example, Sheffield council: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/06/sheffield-ci...

and Plymouth council: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-64961358

and this guy: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/19660776.northwood-ma...

and especially this guy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65890748

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#129
post #7

'we have reason to believe it was deliberately felled' One look at the base of that trunk and I think you can upgrade that to 'we know it was deliberately felled'.

The cut is too straight and flat to be an amateur with a chainsaw. A cheapo chainsaw wouldn't be long enough to do this without needing to go in from both sides. There is also a paint line along the cut. Who paints along the line they're about to cut if they're just cutting down a tree?

> The cut is too straight and flat to be an amateur with a chainsaw.

Looks like it was a 16 year old kid:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arres...

Re: Iconic tree at Hadrian's Wall's 'Sycamore Gap' has been 'felled'

#130
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair though, 1800 is a while ago, especially for wooden construction. But I've lived in a wooden house that was built in 1625 that probably was on it's fifth renovation by 1800. And it still stands today.

Pfft, in Italian terms 1625 is like, yesterday. I got married in a church built in the IX century, half the central buildings in my hometown are from 1300-1400. And we're just nouveau riche compared to Roma.

It's not just Italy. For instance, I was married in a church built in the 10th century, in England.
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