Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
No such evidence is required. 
It has a value well in excess of £5k *now* - prosecution and defence agreed so. That’s all that’s necessary for the offences to be dealt with on the more serious scale for criminal damage.
It is also relevant that the National Trust and English Heritage have now spent far in excess of this on mitigating measures. |
Average range of sentence for others has been 5 to 7 months. Upper range of guidelines is 4 years, and that might be for damage well in excess of £1m. These are the official CPS and sentencing guidelines.
If you viewed the tree from 90 degrees from how it's normally pictured, it would just be a tree with no special meaning.
What mitigating measures, and what have they got to do with any damage?
The sentencing was way out of proportion and arises from the hysteria surrounding events.