Karaka pōhutukawa tree massacre: man pleads guilty

A man pleaded guilty to felling eight pōhutukawa trees lining a street in Karaka and causing $ 40,000 in damage.

A 40-year-old man had been arrested and charged with criminal damages for allegedly cutting down the fully grown native Christmas trees that line Harborside Drive in Karaka, south of Auckland, on October 25.

The man pleaded guilty and appeared via an audio-visual link from the Levin District Court near where he lives, Stuff reports.

Auckland City Council estimates the damage at $ 40,704, though the man questioned that sum, Stuff reports.

At the time of the infraction, residents were dismayed after they discovered that trees were cut down by a chainsaw and strewn across the path and road.

Neighbors in the quiet street area heard the sound of a chainsaw on a Sunday night, but believed that municipal workers had been instructed to cut down the trees.

Inspector Rod Honan, Manukau South County Interim Area Commander, praised the community for their help in finding the man responsible.

“The arrest is the result of the collaboration of the community to provide the evidence to identify the alleged offender and recover the chainsaw used in the crime,” he said.