Woman fined £116,000 for cutting down tree: what led to the scandal.

Claire Rands, a resident of Newport, Wales, did not realize she was breaking the law when she cut down a tree.

According to The Sun: She had asked a tree surgeon to fell a century-old lime tree after a series of serious fires along homes in the close.

This left her outraged that the tree could pose a fire threat.

A mother of four took precaution and cut down the tree in 2012.

According to articles in South Wales Argus and Telegraph that year, the couple claimed their tree had caught fire during the summer.

Claire said this happened due to suspicious fires that spread.

This prompted Claire and her husband to apply for planning permission that would allow them to cut down the tree.

The process involved lifting an existing legal order for tree preservation (TPO).

When the absence of the tree was noticed by the council's ecologist, the couple received a letter informing them of the intention to prosecute for committing or allowing the destruction of a tree protected by TPO.

During the proceedings, Claire's husband Damon Rands was acquitted of the offences, but Claire was left unpunished and faced sentencing.

Judge Celia Hughes decided to convict her for the more serious offence.

Claire was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £100,000 in legal costs.

The court case helped establish that English law applies in Wales, determining that 'aiding or permitting the felling of a protected tree is an offence' according to Sarah Dodds of Tree Law UK.