Tree killer Robert Page has been found guilty of murdering a 65ft Monterey pine on the grounds of his £1m Poole property.
During a four-day court hearing in Salisbury it was revealed that the retired chartered accountant had agreed to sell his detached home to a developer who wanted to build luxury flats.
Felling the tree would have netted him an extra £100,000 from the sale.
The judge was not impressed with Page’s claim that someone else must have come on to his property and sabotaged the tree.
Judge Robert Pawson told Page: “You sat there and lied through your teeth. It displays a certain arrogance.”
The maximum sentence for the crime is an unlimited fine. Page also faces paying expensive court costs.
To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews
