A millionaire added up to £100,000 to the value of his luxury Sandbanks holiday home by butchering two protected trees in his back garden, a court heard.
Trevor Beale, 58, hacked the mature Scots Pines to increase the natural light on the patio and two balconies of his large house on the exclusive resort in Poole Harbour, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.
Trevor Beale, 58, has pleaded guilty after two trees at the back of his £1.2million luxury Sandbanks home were butchered, adding a potential £100,000 to its value
The five-bedroom property is valued at £1.2million and is rented out for up to £4,800 per week in the peak summer months.
Numerous branches were cut off the trees, leaving the canopies of the 60ft tall trees almost bare.
The two pines were subject to Tree Preservation Orders and residents should seek permission from their local authority before carrying out any work.
Beale pleaded guilty to two charges of contravening tree preservation regulations at a previous hearing.
The amount his property has increased in value is the subject of the confiscation proceedings at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Two surveyors estimated the benefit to the defendant was between £60,000 and £100,000.
This figure is disputed by Beale, who claims the uncertainty over Brexit makes it hard to accurately value his luxury home.
The businessman lets out the house called Allure on prestigious Grasmere Road, Sandbanks, for up to £4,800 a week in the peak summer months.
Al fresco dining on the south-facing patio is one of the selling points for the property on rental websites.
The rear of the Sandbanks property, advertised as Allure, shows the damaged trees
