Wigan pensioner who butchered a tree handed huge court bill

William Dodd, 73, of Warrington Road, Abram, had denied two counts of wilfully damaging, topping or lopping trees with intent to destroy them. And while one of the charges was dismissed by borough magistrates, he was found guilty of the other offence committed in contravention of the Town and Planning (Tree Preservation) regulations of 2012 between May and July 2019.

He was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs and victim services surcharge totalling £1,439.91. Earlier this year William Grundy, 77, of Lee Lane, Abram, was hit with two £1,500 fines for damaging the sycamores with the intent of destroying them.

The prosecution related to nine trees large enough for experts to conclude they had been there for up to 60 years. They were protected by a tree preservation order and destroyed without permission from the council.

Changing initial not guilty pleas before trial he ended up with a £3,637 court bill.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers.