A second man charged with criminal damage for felling a Christmas tree in a County Durham village has avoided jail. Dominic Radcliffe acted as a lookout when his friend Dylan McNamara cut down the tree, which had also stood as a World War One memorial for 10 years.
Incident details
The 22ft tree, in Shotton Colliery, was felled just hours after a ceremony took place to turn on the Christmas lights, on December 10 last year. The village fundraised for the tree, serving as a monument to local soldiers, and it was cut down with a bow saw in a 'mindless act of vandalism'.
Durham Constabulary officers were almost immediately alerted to the incident, which took place at 10.50pm, and an investigation was launched. The pair were then arrested, with a search of McNamara's house finding a bow saw hidden in the kitchen, behind the fridge freezer.
Court outcomes
Both men were charged with criminal damage, which they admitted. Radcliffe, 28, was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on Monday, July 20, as well as being ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. At a hearing at the same court last month, McNamara, 26, of Shotton, was handed a ten-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Police statement
PC David Allan and PCSO Katie McKee, of the Peterlee Neighbourhood Police Team, led the investigation. They said: "The tree was not only a festive decoration, but a longstanding symbol in the village of remembrance, unity, and respect for those who served."
"The felling of the tree caused significant hurt, upset, and disappointment among residents. For more than ten years, the tree had been a focal point during the Christmas period, bringing the community together, its destruction had a notable emotional impact on residents."
"Residents described feeling disrespected as this act has disrupted a cherished and meaningful space in the village, and had damaged the sense of safety and respect expected around a site of such importance. McNamara and Radcliffe showed absolutely no consideration for these residents when they committed this utterly mindless act of vandalism."
"We hope this case shows that behaviour like this will not be tolerated within our communities, and that action will be taken against those who commit such offences."
