4 yrs for cutting down tree, no jail time for rape

Four years isn’t nearly enough. They destroyed an iconic tree that had huge sentimental value to a lot of people. Proposals, ash scattering, a place to find peace in grieving that had taken hundreds of years to grow - gone in an act of mindless vandalism.

They should have got longer and rapists should get much longer. Build more prisons if necessary. Proper prisons, not holiday camps with free playstation and a range of free food catering to prisoners "needs". Hard labour, bread and water and regular floggings, and if you don't work, you don't eat.

The law needs changed. He got a sentence reduction due to law of being a young adult and got another reduction as plead guilty.
He was/is a drug addict doubt he will come out of prison any better

Thats the real depressing story. Doesn't matter the length of sentence if prisons can't rehabilitate their inmates

Yes (although I'd have liked the lowlife scum to get longer).

It's not it's a "tree", as some as said, it's the status of the tree and the spiteful manner of the act. It was a place that made people happy, and knowing that they took it away. Two utter bastards.

No it’s not.
You clearly don’t understand what that tree meant to a lot of people it was a pointless disgusting act of aggression on nature.

Dont feel sorry for them. One of them has previous for battery.
They committed a deliberate act of vandalism on a tree that really meant a lot to a lot of people. A landmark. A place where people proposed, scattered ashes. It wasn’t ’just a tree’ it was a protected tree on Hadrians Wall and two idiots went out in the night and chopped it down with a chainsaw.
Yes there are worse crimes. There are ALWAYS worse crimes.
They disgust me. Pair of fkn brainless stupid morons.

4 years for a historical landmark tree is a bit insane BUT it was totally pre planned crime. Its a bloody hike to get to the tree never mind with tools

It was a completely shitty thing to do but in the run up to the trial I kept thinking what can they really convict them of??
like which crime can cutting a tree down be linked to, public damage maybe but not much else.
It's so much media coverage and hype over something that's incomparable to sooo many crimes that goes on daily.

Indeed. 10 years of community service looking after trees would perhaps have been a better plan.

It was just a tree. A very nice tree, and a very old tree, but just a tree.

Why are you even drawing this comparison OP? We don’t need to pit the tree against women. Women are being failed, that doesn’t need any clarification. But it’s not just ‘a tree’. Clearly. Judges don’t dish out custodial sentences to people cutting down common or garden trees.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/man-jailed-three-years-rape-girl-12/

Man cuts down tree = four years.
Man rapes twelve year old girl = three years.

Yes sentencing in this country is ridiculous. Do something that makes the Daily Mail angry like spray paint, graffiti, protesting, in famous/historic spots (especially any action aimed in any way against the ruling class/establishment or that might offend that group) and you’ll feel the full force of the law. Horrific random acts of violence against unknown members of the public = shrug. Famous shrubs and statues are considered of more value by the establishment than the vast majority of humans. Welcome to Britain.

there are seperate prisons for sex offenders. No other crime. Just sex offenders. And there are many prisons dedicated to them.

any on wings are usually on remand.

I was on the wings today.

I know I know, I wasn’t meaning it in the literal sense. More expressing annoyance that community based sentences/slap on the wrists are preferred over custodial sentences. Sick of seeing violent offenders not being jailed because they are under 25.

I think you'll find they have separate wings in regular prisons but I'm prepared to be proved wrong, if you can.

I thought this when I heard the sentencing. If it’s trees or dogs everyone weeps. But I think about those poor girls and women in Rochdale, and all those other shit hole grooming towns - still no one gives a shit.

I was thinking this earlier myself OP and feeling furious. Now we know our importance in the scheme of things. Far less important than a tree.

Sex offenders have their own prisons. So nobody is taking places

This is what I believe as well

You can be for tougher prosecution and sentencing of rape AND also agree about this jail sentence for felling a tree.

@Barnbrack Can you give us examples of cases where a man convicted of rape got a suspended sentence?

We jail climate protestors for longer than this - and they want to save the trees