By IANS
Auckland : An Indian was ordered to pay a fine of $5000 for poisoning a protected tree in New Zealand.
Rajesh Kumar Lallubhai Patel, a resident of Auckland, was fined Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to the charge of poisoning a protected gingko tree at the Horticulture and Food Research Institute in Mount Albert, reported Radio New Zealand.
Patel was found drilling holes in the tree and stuffing cotton wool soaked in weed killer into the holes.
The judge said that had the tree been seriously damaged, the fine would have been between $10,000 and $15,000.
A ginkgo tree can grow up to a height of about 30 metres and width of about 4 metres.
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