What happened to the Sycamore Gap Tree as pair of fellers to be sentenced today
The famous Sycamore Gap Tree at Hadrian's Wall was felled by a pair of vandals back in September 2023. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are to be sentenced today, July 15 at Newcastle Crown Court for criminal damage.
The tree was an iconic staple of the English countryside, and was protected by the National Trust along with Hadrian's Wall. It had even featured in Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991.
But after growing for nearly 150 years, the tree was cut down in under three minutes by Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers. One of two men took a chainsaw to the sycamore while the other filmed the crime on his phone.
They were convicted in May of two counts of criminal damage each, for vandalising both the tree and Hadrian's Wall, and the judge is to decide their fate in court today. Each count carries a penalty of up to a decade in prison.
But as the sycamore and its vandals make headlines today (July 15), questions are being raised on the details of this odd crime, and why on earth Graham and Carruthers decided to carry it out.
Was there motive to the tree-felling or was this nothing more but mindless vandalism?
Here's everything you need to know about the now-felled Sycamore Gap Tree.
What happened to the Sycamore Gap Tree?
On September 28, 2023, Graham, 39 and Carruthers, 32, travelled more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria to Hadrian's Wall, where they carried their equipment, including a chainsaw, across pitch black moorland until they reached the tree.
One of them cut down the tree while the other filmed the crime in a video that lasts two minutes and 41 seconds, reported the Independent.
Messages and voice notes between the vandals from the following day showed them bragging about the news of the now-felled tree going 'wild' and 'viral'.
They even took a wedge from the tree as a souvenir from their crime, which has never been recovered.
But what could have motivated them to commit such an odd act of vandalism?
Why did the pair cut down the Sycamore Gap Tree?
While the two vandals were formerly friends and colleagues, they have reportedly fallen out after the scandal, with each of them blaming the other for the incident.
During the trial, Graham accused Carruthers of having a fascination with the Sycamore Gap, and said his partner in crime had described it as 'the most famous tree in the world'.
He said Carruthers had spoken of wanting to cut it down, and had kept a piece of string in his workshop that he had used to measure the tree's circumference.
But these claims were denied by Carruthers, who said he did not understand why the incident had gained so much attention, describing the now-dead sycamore as 'just a tree'.
A spokesperson for the National Trust said: 'The needless felling of the Sycamore Gap tree shocked people around the country and overseas, demonstrating the powerful connection between people and our natural heritage.'
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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Sycamore Gap 'drunken stunt' cost to taxypayer revealed as 'moronic' duo jailed
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers chopped down the tree for a mindless 'thrill' and then revelled in media coverage. Both were jailed for four years and three months. The drunken stunt that destroyed the 'irreplaceable' Sycamore Gap tree will cost taxpayers almost £1m, it has been revealed. "Moronic' duo Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers chopped down the tree for a mindless 'thrill' and then revelled in the media coverage, Newcastle crown court heard. They were both locked up for four years and three months. The value of the tree was disputed in court with the prosecution saying it was worth about £458,000 after an initial estimate of £622,000; Graham's team claimed it should only be valued about £150,000. The court heard its value was around £500,000 when the impact on tourism and visitors to the local area were taken into account. The exact value did not unduly influence sentencing. The damage to Hadrian's Wall as the tree fell, a world Unesco heritage site, was valued at more than £7,000. The initial operation to secure the site and deal with the felling of the tree was £30,000. The National Trust calculated that they had spent £55,000, all money taken out of their charitable donations. Another £25,000 was spent last year on the aftermath as they dealt with the huge public reaction. Andrew Poad, National Trust manager for Northumberland where the tree stood, said in an impact statement to the court that the value of three was 'incalculable' because it was 'irreplaceable'. He said: "More than £30,000 of our revenue was taken dealing with the incident. "Another £25,000 was spent in 2025, all from National Trust charitable funds. We worked to mitigate the environmental degradation. It would be almost impossible to quantify the number of hours spent and the staffing costs. The impact has been felt every day, every hour since, staff have been working around the clock." The two week trial and extensive 18-month police investigation is likely to cost the taxpayer in excess of £250,000. Graham, 39, from near Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Wigton, both Cumbria, finally admitted that they were responsible for the crime which shocked the world. Carruthers admitted wielding the chainsaw as Graham filmed him on his own mobile phone in confessions to probation officers before they were sentenced at Newcastle crown court this week. By then, their 10-day trial had racked up court costs of around £3,500 per day. There were three officers working on the inquiry for the 19 month police inquiry prior to the trial. The man in charge of the investigation, DI Calum Meikle, insisted that the use of Northumbria Police time was appropriate. The legal aid bill for Graham and Carruthers is expected to hit £18,674.28, according to a FoI request. The pair are going to serve at least 40 percent of their sentence; the cost of keeping them behind bars for a year is £44,460. They will each spend at least 20 months in prison if they serve the minimum of 40 percent of their sentences, bringing the combined bill for their incarceration to another £150,000. Hairy Biker Si King, 58, a native of Northumberland, told the Mirror that the financial bill was outweighed by the emotional cost. "I just cannot get my head around it, even now the question is why did they do it?," he said. "There is no closure because we still do not have an answer to that. It is simply madness; it was a totem somewhere between the celestial world, and the earth. It was so shocking to have that taken away." Sentencing the two former workmates, Judge Mrs Justice Lambert said: "I am confident that a major factor in your offending was sheer bravado. Felling the tree in the middle of the night and in the middle of a storm gave you some sort of thrill, as did the media coverage of your crimes over the following days. "You revelled in the coverage, taking evident pride in what you had done, knowing that you were responsible for the crime which so many were talking about. Whether bravado and thrill-seeking provide the complete explanation for what you did, I do not know. "However, as I say, I am quite sure that you are both equally culpable for the destruction of the tree and for the damage to the wall." Adam Cormack, the head of campaigning for the Woodland Trust, said the public response to the crime showed that we have to improve legal protections for our 'most special and important trees' A Tree Council and Forest Research review of that protection was published in April. He added: "We urge the Government to take forward the recommendations of this report. "The sentence sends a clear message that gratuitous damage and destruction of trees is unacceptable. The consequences of the felling of this iconic tree are tragic for nature, for our cultural heritage and for these two men and their families." Sycamore Gap cost breakdown £500,000 valuation of tree itself, covering loss in tourism, local visitors, cost to the UK and North east economy £7,000 damage to Hadrian's Wall Unesco World Heritage site £55,000 National Trust bill (all charitable donations) £250,000 police/courts: £200,00 police probe, £35,000 crown court costs, collection of evidence, cell site analysis. Legal aid bill so far: £18,674. £150,000 prison costs for Graham and Carruthers, based on serving 40 percent of sentence. Total: £980,674.
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Sycamore Gap duo told court it was 'just a tree' and 'didn't understand the fuss'
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, have been jailed for four years and three months after cutting down the iconic sycamore tree in a fold in the Northumberland landscape. The infamous Sycamore Gap tree, a beloved Northumberland landmark, was felled in an act of "sheer bravado" by two men who have since been jailed. Their fleeting yet "moronic" act of destruction against the century-old tree has etched itself into local memory. The duo, previously on friendly terms with the community, became notorious: Daniel Graham, 39, dubbed "the man with no friends", and Adam Carruthers, 32, known as "the man with no brains". Graham eventually betrayed Carruthers, informing the police that his accomplice was responsible for toppling the iconic tree in September 2023. Both men received a sentence of four years and three months for criminal damage to the tree and additional harm to Hadrian's Wall, which was struck by the sycamore as it fell. During the trial at Newcastle Crown Court, it emerged that the pair had journeyed over 40 minutes from their Cumbria residences and navigated through a stormy, pitch-black moorland to commit the vandalism. They even removed a wedge from the tree as a souvenir and basked in the subsequent national and international media attention, with recordings of their boastful voice notes presented in court. The question remains: what motivated these individuals to execute such a deed, and can it be dismissed merely as a "drunken prank"?, reports the Mirror. Speaking in Graham's defence, Chris Knox informed the court: "He is a troubled man who has had very real difficulties in his life, which have not all been of his own making." Residents from the locality recall Graham as a typical youngster prior to his parents' separation, which allegedly "sent him off the rails," the BBC reports. His father, Michael, tragically ended his own life in 2021, a devastating event which Graham discussed whilst testifying in court regarding his mental health battles. For the previous decade, the vandal had been living in a static caravan situated on a piece of land just beyond Carlisle, on the edges of Kirkandrews-upon-Eden. Operating from this remote lane at a site called Millbeck Stables, he ran his business, DM Graham Groundworks. Journalist Kevin Donald characterised the location as "a strange little shanty". "It's got a caravan, horses on the land and pillars at the entrance with lions on the top," he explained. Following his remand in custody, both his residence and the enterprise he conducted from there came under attack, his barrister revealed. Harold Bowron, Chairman of the village's Parish Hall Committee, described Graham as "a man of mystery, a bit of an odd-bod". His friendship with Carruthers began in 2021 after Graham had assisted him with work. Carruthers, who resided in a caravan with his partner at Kirkbride Airfield, had fixed a Land Rover used at Graham's father's funeral. In court, Carruthers attempted to cast himself as a dedicated new father, asserting that he was at home with his partner Amy when the tree was chopped down. In their defence, the duo presented a lacklustre justification for the notorious tree cutting, dismissing it as a drunken jest. Despite their lawyer's claim that the incident was merely "no more than drunken stupidity", this explanation failed to sway either the prosecution or the judge. Andrew Gurney, representing Adam Carruthers, pressed: "People want to know why? Why did you conduct this mindless act? Unfortunately, it is no more than drunken stupidity. "He felled that tree and it is something he will regret for the rest of his life. There's no better explanation than that." On Tuesday, Mrs Justice Lambert sentenced the pair, noting that while their motive remained murky, a significant element appeared to be "sheer bravado". Addressing the defendants, she said: "Felling the tree in the middle of the night in a storm gave you some sort of thrill. You revelled in the coverage, taking pride in what you have done, knowing you were responsible for the crime so many people were talking about. "Whether that was the sole explanation for what you did, I do not know, however I know you are both equally culpable." In a voicenote, Graham boasted: "It's gone viral, it is worldwide." Later, Graham messaged: "Jeffrey, it's on f***ing Sky News as we speak." Carruthers received a video from Graham showing the Sky News ticker. In a subsequent text, Graham remarked to Carruthers: "Not a bad angle on that stump", and complimented: "That's clearly a professional." The duo also exchanged Facebook comment screenshots regarding the vandalism, highlighting one that read: "Judging by the quality of the cut and size of tree I would say whoever it was has knowledge of how to fell large trees." Beneath this, a comment from Kevin Hartness stated: "Some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour." The court heard a voicenote from Graham to Carruthers about this comment, in which he said: "That Kevin Hartness comment. Weak... f****** weak? Does he realise how heavy s**t is?'". Carruthers responded with a voice note of his own, saying: "'I'd like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night... I don't think he's got the minerals." Although initially appearing to be in cahoots, Graham later changed his tune, pointing the finger at Carruthers as the instigator. He claimed to have kept a piece of the tree as a 'trophy', but when Carruthers was questioned during cross-examination at the trial about whether he had retained a trunk segment as a keepsake for his newborn daughter, he refuted the claim. Carruthers had previously felled a tree to commemorate the birth of his first daughter, Charlie, on 5 September 2018. He aimed to outdo himself for his second child, Olivia, by taking a piece from the renowned sycamore. Like Graham, he spun a web of feeble excuses to conceal his reckless act, telling the court it was "just a tree" and that he "did not understand" the media uproar. Yet, it was evident he harboured a peculiar fascination with the Sycamore Gap tree, keeping in his workshop a piece of string used to measure its girth, biding his time until he would chop it down. The opportune moment for Carruthers arrived following the birth of Olivia. Merely 12 days after, he and Graham embarked in a black Range Rover to claim a "trophy" for her, a slice from the trunk of what Carruthers dubbed: "The most famous tree in the world." The accused were once tight-knit pals but have since become estranged post-arrest, with Graham betraying Carruthers. The police were tipped off about the duo's involvement in the offence, and Graham became the target of a vicious social media backlash. He was compelled to erase his name from his business vehicles and, in a covert call to Northumbria Police, identified Carruthers as the individual responsible for felling the tree. When the court proceedings initially began, the duo arrived together, both donning balaclavas to conceal their faces. However, it wasn't long before Graham appeared solo, opting to forego any disguise. During his trial testimony, Graham conceded that he and Carruthers had once been close but insisted he now had 'no friends'. "You could say I am anti-social," he declared. "I don't have much time for people." He alleged that on the evening the tree was chopped down, his car and phone were used without his consent. ANPR cameras captured Graham's Range Rover travelling between Carlisle and Sycamore Gap on the night of September 27, 2023, and recorded its return journey the following morning. His mobile phone was also tracked to masts along the same route. The judge stated that based on confessions made in their pre-sentence reports, she was convinced that Carruthers was the one who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree while Graham drove him there and recorded the act on his phone. Addressing them, she said: "Adam Carruthers, you told a probation officer you had no idea why you carried out the crime and could offer no explanation. You said you had drunk a bottle of whisky after a tough day and everything was a blur. "Daniel Graham, as during the trial, your main focus seemed to be to heap as much blame as possible on your co-defendant. You now accept you were present but blame him for what happened that night." The judge continued: "You told the probation officer it was (Carruthers') 'dream and his show' and you just went along with it." Mrs Justice Lambert stated: "Although there may be grains of truth in what you said, I do not accept your explanations are wholly honest or the whole story. "Adam Carruthers, your account that you had so much to drink that you had no memory of what happened is not plausible. The tree felling demonstrated skill and required deliberate and co-ordinated actions by you... It was not the work of someone whose actions were significantly impaired through drink. "Nor, Daniel Graham, do I accept you just went along with your co-defendant. You filmed the whole event, you took photos of the chainsaw and wedge of trunk in the boot of your Range Rover. The next day, you appeared to revel in coverage of your actions in the media. This is not the behaviour of someone who is shocked and horrified by what has happened." In the lead up to his 'moronic mission', Graham harboured resentment towards authorities who denied his request to reside near Hadrian's Wall, finding himself embroiled in a contentious planning dispute with his local council. Cumberland Council issued an enforcement notice for his home and business premises at Millbeck Stables, located on the fringes of Carlisle, Cumbria, within the 'buffer zone' of Hadrian's Wall's UNESCO World Heritage site. Residents and planning officials from Beaumont Parish Council, a secluded rural community in Cumbria, recounted feeling intimidated by Graham's 'dominant and oppressive behaviour'. His retrospective application to live on the site of his Millbeck Stables was rejected by the council, and he was warned of potential eviction. He was given until October 28, 2025, to secure 'other accommodation', but his immediate future will now be spent behind bars. This decision implies that Graham will be without a home upon his release from prison. A final rejection letter was issued in April 2023, and the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down just over five months later. Several locals opposed his application to live on the site, and speculate that his anger towards authority may have fuelled his criminal act.
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
English seaside hotspot to fine people £100 for SWEARING in ‘draconian' council crackdown
If successful, the ban will be imposed for years SWEAR DOWN English seaside hotspot to fine people £100 for SWEARING in 'draconian' council crackdown Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR seaside hotspot has introduced new plans to issue £100 fines for swearing in a controversial council crackdown. Council papers from a meeting earlier this week have revealed that the authority hopes to enforce these controversial fines to tackle antisocial behaviour. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A council has revealed plans to crackdown on swearing at popular seaside hotspot Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Those caught could face a £100 fine Credit: Alamy Council crackdown on swearing and 'foul' language A report from Thanet District Council said: "All persons are prohibited from using foul or abusive language in such a manner that is loud and can be heard by others and cause either alarm or distress to any other person in any public place." This rule comes under the public space protection order (PSPO) - which the council is trying to reinstate after a failed attempt last year. The penalty for breaking this PSPO, which will cover the entirety of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, is £100 to be paid within 28 days, with a reduced fine of £60 if paid within 14 days. In addition to swearing, the order also bans anti-social groups, misuse of public space, urinating, deficating or spitting, legal psychoactive substances (such as nitrous oxide), humiliating others and consuming alcohol. Council responds to criticism This comes after Thanet District Council attempted to initiate this order last July. The authority declared the restrictions were to stop "foul or abusive language" from ruining the peaceful atmosphere of the streets. However, after the Free Speech Union (FSU) threatened to take legal action, the scheme was scrapped a month later. This order has been met with criticism, of which the new report acknowledges. The document explains that exceptions will be made if people have a "reasonable excuse" for breaking the rules. It states: "In response to these concerns, residents should be reassured that there are a number of protections within the order. 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"We've sadly seen situations in our public spaces recently which have escalated and we know that local people, visitors and businesses want more to be done to tackle this." She explained that the PSPO aims to reduce this antisocial behaviour. Ms Keen also shared that the proposed restrictions are not only similar to the district's previous PSPO, but they also mirror those put in place across other parts of Kent. On the subject of free speech, she added: "To be clear, the restriction around language is not aimed at preventing free speech or swearing, but foul language that is such to cause fear, distress or alarm. "Evidence gathered by officers indicates that this is a significant issue impacting residents." Ms Keen also addressed the legal action which was threatened to be taken against the previous PSPO, saying they have since gathered further evidence which indicates that this restriction in proportionate. She said: "The public and stakeholder response has again indicated overwhelming support for all of the proposed restrictions. "As a result we will consider the proposed order when the Cabinet meets on Thursday 24 July to carefully consider the results of consultation and take a view. "Subject to approval, we will seek to implement this as soon as possible." Cabinet members are expected to discuss the revisited order in the council chamber on July 24. If approved, the PSPO will be in place for three years. The Sun has reached out to Thanet District Council for further comment. 6 The proposed ban comes after reports of antisocial behaviour in the area Credit: Alamy
