Man who cut down Christmas tree gives no reason
BBCA man who cut down a village Christmas tree, which also served as a war memorial, in "a mindless act of vandalism" has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Dylan McNamara, 26, cut down the 22ft (6.7m) tree in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, shortly after a ceremony to turn on the Christmas lights last December, but has never explained his reason for doing so.
Defence lawyer Amrit Jandoo told Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court McNamara's actions were no doubt carried out for "some sort of sport, joke or humour".
He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and was handed a 10-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
The festive spruce was planted 10 years ago after a fundraising effort in the village and was also a monument to local soldiers who died in World War One.
The court heard McNamara, of Bruce Glazier Terrace, cut down the tree with another man who has not been prosecuted.
Police examined CCTV footage and identified McNamara as the culprit before finding a saw hidden behind his fridge.
Durham PoliceJandoo told the court McNamara's actions "were shameful and he had wanted to apologise to the people of Shotton Colliery".
McNamara was also ordered to pay £520 in compensation, which will come from his benefits.
Stuart Wardle from Shotton Parish Council said the tree was worth thousands of pounds and he found it "disgraceful that someone could cut down a tree that had been part of the community".
At the time of the felling, Durham Police described it as "a mindless act of vandalism which caused huge upset throughout the village".
