Two men who illegally felled the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in what prosecutors called a “deliberate and mindless act of destruction” have been jailed for four years and three months.
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, July 15, after being convicted in May of criminal damage to both the historic tree and Hadrian’s Wall, which was damaged when the sycamore fell on it.
The pair had driven 40 minutes through a storm from their homes in Cumbria to the Northumberland landmark in the early hours of 28 September 2023, where they cut down the tree that had stood for more than 150 years.
Dramatic Change of Plea
In a dramatic turn at today’s sentencing hearing, both men finally admitted their roles in the destruction after previously maintaining their innocence throughout the trial.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the court that the defendants now blamed alcohol for their actions, describing this as a “fanciful proposition.
“The court can be sure they were sober, prepared and planned to do what they did,” Wright told Justice Christina Lambert.
From Friends to Foes
The court heard that Graham and Carruthers, once described as “best of pals” who spoke daily and worked together as landscapers, had fallen out spectacularly in the aftermath of the crime.
Their friendship unravelled as police investigations intensified, with each ultimately blaming the other for the destruction.
Graham, a groundworker from Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, a mechanic from Church Street, Wigton, had experience felling trees and split their earnings equally from such work.
The Night of Destruction
During Storm Agnes, the pair trekked across marshland in winds of up to 60mph to reach the famous tree, which stood in a natural dip along Hadrian’s Wall.
Using their professional expertise, they marked the trunk, cut a wedge to control its fall direction, and felled it with a chainsaw in less than three minutes.
A grainy video filmed on Graham’s phone captured the moment the tree crashed to the ground at 12:30am on September 28, 2023.
Digital Trail of Evidence
The perpetrators’ downfall came through digital evidence that traced their movements and communications.
Graham’s Range Rover was captured on automatic number plate recognition cameras travelling between Carlisle and Sycamore Gap that night.
Mobile phone data placed both men at the scene, and investigators discovered the felling video had been sent from Graham’s phone to Carruthers.
Revelling in Destruction
Messages exchanged between the pair the following day showed them glorying in their actions as news of the destruction spread.
“Not a bad angle on that stump,” Graham messaged Carruthers, adding: “That’s clearly a professional.”
In a voice note, Graham boasted: “It’s gone viral, it’s gone worldwide, it will be on ITV News tonight.
When Carruthers received a text from his girlfriend showing footage of their 12-day-old son, he callously replied: “I’ve got a better video than that.”
National Outrage
The illegal felling caused immediate outrage across Britain and internationally, with the tree valued at £622,191 in criminal damage, plus £1,144 damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Gale Gilchrist said: “In just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction.
The sycamore had become one of England’s most photographed trees, winning “English Tree of the Year” in 2016 and achieving global fame through its appearance in the 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” starring Kevin Costner.
Failed Cover-Up
During the five-week trial, both men had denied involvement, with Graham claiming Carruthers had taken his car and phone without permission.
Graham told the court that Carruthers had described the tree as “the most famous tree in the world” and had spoken about wanting to cut it down.
Carruthers, meanwhile, told jurors he could not understand the public outcry, dismissing it as “just a tree.”
Neither showed any visible reaction when convicted by the jury after just five hours of deliberation.
Cultural Heritage Destroyed
The National Trust, which owned both the tree and the wall, said the destruction “shocked people around the country and overseas, demonstrating the powerful connection between people and our natural heritage.”
The tree had stood sentinel in the dramatic landscape for generations, becoming a beloved backdrop for everything from picnics to marriage proposals.
Located in Northumberland National Park, it grew in a symmetrical dip along Hadrian’s Wall, built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire.
Hope for Regeneration
Despite the devastation, there remains a glimmer of hope for the future.
Rangers have reported seeing new shoots growing from the stump, suggesting the tree may regenerate itself over time.
The National Trust is working to create a positive legacy from the destruction, including planting 49 “Trees of Hope” grown from the original sycamore in communities across the UK.
Superintendent Kevin Waring of Northumbria Police said: “At no point have the two men given an explanation for why they targeted the tree – and there never could be a justifiable one.
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