Two people accused of attacking the historic pine on One Tree Hill with a chainsaw giggled uncontrollably as a video recording of the incident played in the Auckland District Court yesterday.
Facing charges of wilful damage, Dargaville resident Cecilia Creeks, 21, and her mother Pauline Creeks, 45, of Auckland, clung to
each other in fits of stifled laughter as their home-video recording played in front of Judge Michael Hobbs.
Pauline Creeks is facing an additional charge of disorderly behaviour while her husband, Daniel Wilson, 47, is also facing charges of wilful damage following the September 14 incident last year.
Pauline Creeks told the court the videotape, which was seized by police at the scene, had been made to record the police's treatment of her family.
The tape showed Wilson travelling in a car, discussing chainsaw cutting techniques with others, along with the attack itself, which lasted around 10 minutes.
Wilson appeared to have first run with the hired chainsaw as Cecilia Creeks yanked away from a fence around the tree a tourist who was trying to stop the attack. She also had a turn with the chainsaw and continued to butcher the tree as a police helicopter swooped above.
Pauline Creeks told the court the trio was forced to "hurt" the tree because no one would listen to their beliefs about spiritualism. She said a vision of a rainbow the morning of the attack had proved it was "the only way."
"Okay, so we cut the tree down; it was just to bring the knowledge to your attention."
The group, who represented themselves during the two-day trial, had been distributing pamphlets about European, African, Polynesian and Chinese spiritualism before the incident.
Judge Hobbs, who yesterday dismissed two assault charges laid against Cecilia Creeks and Pauline Creeks, will give his ruling tomorrow.
