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BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Sycamore Gap prosecutor shares his story of the trial
The trial of the two men who felled the Sycamore Gap tree garnered global attention. What was it like for the prosecutor at the heart of the case? It felt like a murder trial. Day after day we heard of phones and cars being tracked, gloating messages swapped by the culprits in the aftermath and emotional statements about the devastation they had in this case, the weapon was a chainsaw and the victim was a tree. Richard Wright KC has worked on more than 100 murder cases in his 27 years as a an exclusive interview with the BBC, the prosecutor says the interest in trial of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers was on a scale he had never encountered before."It was the public expectation," he says, "the pressure of getting the right result.""The evidence was overwhelming so, in cases like that, if you don't get a conviction, something's gone badly wrong." The jury retired on a Thursday, spending four and a half hours out in discussions before being sent home for the day, eventually returning with guilty verdicts the following morning."I was climbing the walls," Mr Wright says of the wait."You start thinking 'Oh my God, could I have done it differently, what if I've got it wrong?'"He didn't - the jury agreed the evidence was overwhelming. During his opening speech, the video of the tree being cut down was shown for the first time. When the two-and-a-half minute long clip, filmed on Graham's phone, finished you could have heard a pin drop in Newcastle Crown Court's courtroom one."Some people might say it was 'just a tree', but the senseless nature of it was quite emotional," Mr Wright recalls. "It did have a greater power when it was presented in court than I thought it would. "Everybody was stunned in to silence. "I felt the same." The video wasn't the only piece of evidence that helped convict Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, who had travelled from their homes in Cumbria to fell the tree on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland in the early hours of 28 September news of the tree's felling rapidly spread, Graham and Carruthers were sending each other screenshots of news reports and outraged social media responses to what they had done."I couldn't believe they had recorded the video in the first place," Mr Wright says. "Equally, I thought their conversations the next day were significant, which frankly only the people who'd cut down the tree could be having." They described it as their "operation", talked about how good the cut had been and were getting palpable excitement from the fury."It was one of those cases where you had your absolute dream tick list of every single thing you'd want to prove a criminal offence," Mr Wright says."Admissions after the fact, evidence of them actually committing the crime, cell site and other circumstantial evidence. "The police did an excellent job." During the trial, Mr Wright described the pair as "the odd couple", best friends before falling out spectacularly as the public revulsion at their actions became clear to them."They were certainly unconventional," Mr Wright says."I thought the relationship between them was very strange, they'd had an intense friendship and now they were absolutely daggers drawn."In court, there were also heated exchanges between Mr Wright and Graham. During cross examination, the defendant raised his voice to the prosecutor and said "I've had enough of you calling me a liar. You're trying to wind us up." Was that what Mr Wright was trying to do? "I thought to myself he was trying to make the jury think I was bullying him and being unfair," Mr Wright responds, adding: "I've had worse." The question of "why" has been the big one for this case, what was the motive for what Mr Wright described to jurors as a "moronic mission".After being convicted, Carruthers went from denying any involvement to admitting being a part of it and attributing it to "drunken stupidity".Jailing them for four years and three months each, Mrs Justice Lambert gave that claim short had done too good a job for it to have been done while drunk, the judge said, adding "sheer bravado" and "thrill-seeking" were driving factors. Mr Wright has another theory, relating to the pair taking away the wedge of tree they had cut out and Carruthers having a newborn baby."I really do think the motive was to get some sort of trophy to celebrate the birth of Carruthers' child," the prosecutor says."I think it was probably something as pathetic as that." Does he think the wedge, which was photographed later that night in the boot of Graham's Range Rover, will ever be found?"I doubt it," Mr Wright says. "I think they would have got rid of it."Since the sentencing, the barrister has already been on two murder cases and spent time sitting as a judge, but he is very aware his name is still attached to the Sycamore Gap case."It's certainly a case I will never forget," Mr Wright says. "As a barrister you like to be anonymous. You go and you do your job, you don't really want to be in the public eye so I was quite pleased when it was over."As he moves on to his next cases, the men he prosecuted have been beginning their prison did he think of the sentence? "As far as I could tell, 50% of the public think it was too long and 50% think it was too short," Mr Wright says. "So that tells me it's about right." Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- SBS Australia
Men jailed for felling UK's iconic Sycamore Gap tree
On a dark and stormy night in September 2023, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers set out with a chainsaw to bring down a tree in the British county of Northumberland. But it wasn't just any tree - it was the Sycamore Gap tree, which stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historic World Heritage Listed Hadrian's Wall in northern England, and estimated to be around 200 years old. The sycamore even featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. "Azeem, the great wood. I am home." Both men were each convicted of two counts of criminal damage in May. The pair have now been jailed by Judge Christina Lambert for what prosecutors called their act of "mindless destruction". "Mr Daniel Graham, Mr Adam Carruthers, I pass the same sentence in respect of you. The sentence is on count one, four years and three months imprisonment." Both denied any involvement in the felling of the tree at first but evidence to the court placed both of them at the scene - which included footage on Graham's mobile phone of a tree being chainsawed in the dead of night. The court also heard the pair had bragged about what they'd done. Neither man has explained why they did it, though Carruthers' lawyer Andrew Gurney described it as "drunken stupidity". The Judge didn't accept that, ruling that it was clearly deliberate and premeditated over a tree that was beloved in the community and known across the world. "For those who live in Northumberland or who love this county, the tree had become a landmark, a symbol of the beauty of its untamed landscape, featuring prominently in local art and local tourism. For others, the tree had become a place, a special personal significance where marriages were proposed and personal tributes to loved ones were left. It was, as Mr Poad (NATIONAL TRUST MANAGER ANDREW POAD WHO GAVE EVIDENCE) observes, a place of peace and tranquillity to which people returned year after year." The Sycamore Gap tree's destruction was met with fury and dismay across the UK, as these residents told the BBC. WOMAN: "Very sad. It makes you wonder why this has happened." MAN: "It was anger initially. When I found out that it was actually malicious - like a malicious act that caused it - now it's just sad." Reaction to the sentence has been mixed. Some say the prison sentence should have been even harsher. MAN: "Terrible to be honest. Yeah, yeah. Terrible. Should have got a lot more..." WOMAN: "The sentence reflects public disgust and anger." Others believe the punishment should have been tailored to fit the crime. "I'm not sure putting them in prison is the right thing to do. I just think community service, just spending a long, long time planting trees, particularly in weather like this..." Meanwhile, work to save what's left of the iconic tree goes on. Last week, the Northumberland National Park said the largest part of the tree would go on display in an installation located not far from where it once stood. And the National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, has collected twigs and seeds from around the base, in the hopes of promoting regrowth. It said last August there were signs of life at the base, giving hope it might live on.
Metro
5 days ago
- Metro
Should the Sycamore Gap duo be given a planting punishment? Readers discuss
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments. It seems obvious to me but wouldn't it have been fitting if Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers – the pair who felled the Sycamore Gap tree (Metro, Wed) – were given the additional punishment of each planting 1,000 new trees, on top of each being jailed for four years and three months? Up first thing in the morning and work them all day until their backs ache and they are sick of the sight of trees, grass and soil. I read that Glastonbury organisers intend to plant new trees next year, with the festival being rested. So where better a place to send them? Dec, Essex Sculptor Charlie Whinney, who has created an installation from a 6ft section of the Sycamore Gap tree, suggests people hug it as an act of remembrance (Metro, Fri). Rather than that, could we not have an annual wringing of the necks of the perpetrators? Howard, Devizes The Sycamore Gap tree chaps got hefty custodial sentences. What if they'd sawn an animal in pieces? They'd have got a slap on the wrists. The mild sentences animal abusers are given shows the contempt judges have for animals. Why is a tree more precious than an animal? Alan Meadowcroft, Oldham Constance Marten – found guilty with partner Mark Gordon of killing their new-born baby while on the run – has a trust fund of £2.4million but gets £600,000 of legal aid (Metro, Tue). Can someone please explain how this is possible. Mr A Bowman, Derby I agree with Alfie Mullin (MetroTalk, Tue) when he says e-bikes are a menace in London parks. He suggests that riders should have a licence to ride them. The thing is, any amount of legislation is worthless if it is not policed. Maybe the Met Police could concentrate on actual physical, harmful crime, rather than tweets and perceived 'emoti-crimes' for the hurt feelings of the feeble. Tony Cooper, Bognor Regis Migel (MetroTalk, Wed) suggests a plutocracy of 'philanthropist-capitalists' would be better running the planet than a democracy on the basis that majority decisions do not always prove correct. But what if I don't agree with what the plutocrats propose? Why should the plan of a small group of people be automatically deemed the best for the whole population? What if they decide to use their power to enslave everybody? Or to get rid of the elderly? Democracy isn't without its drawbacks but at the moment it is the best we have. As well as Brexit, Migel points to the fact the audience often got it wrong when asked on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Managing a society is much more nuanced than picking the right answer out of four options. Michal Piwowarek, Dewsbury Regarding Donald Trump's threat of 100 per cent tariffs on countries buying Russian exports, including oil and gas. Japan has been buying gas from Russia's Sakhalin-2 field since 2009. The Sakhalin-2 field is two oil and gas platforms operating off Sakhalin Island, offshored 50m deep in the Sea of Okhtosk. So, will Trump place 100 per cent tariffs on Japanese goods entering the US? Malco, Chislehurst How can £650million of government money for grants of up to £3,750 to assist buying electric cars worth up to £37,000 be fair to the average taxpayer? More Trending It's going to cause further division between the haves and the have-nots. Molly Neville, Sheffield Thames Water blames poor finances on an increase in sewage spills caused by higher-than-usual rainfall, yet has just announced a hosepipe ban due to lower-than-average rainfall (Metro, Wed). The company should be used as a sample case to teach students at business universities how not to run a business. Pedro, Hammersmith Did you hear about the farmer who won a Nobel prize? He was outstanding in his field. Colin Monks, Romford MORE: The Metro daily cartoon by Guy Venables MORE: Which four Labour MPs have been suspended and why? MORE: 'We tried No7's new Pro Artist Weightless Silk Foundation and it really is silky soft'
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Bizarre story of Sycamore gap duo and moment that 'tipped them over the edge'
Former friends turned enemies, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, were convicted of criminal damage to the immensely popular Sycamore Gap tree, which they claimed was felled in a 'drunken prank' The two men who cut down the famous tree at Sycamore Gap out of "sheer bravado" have now been put behind bars. But their three-minute "moronic" destruction of the much-loved tree, which had stood for more than 100 years in a fold in the Northumberland landscape, will never be forgotten. The two were once pals with locals saying the plot saw "the man with no friends" - Daniel Graham, 39 - team up with "the man with no brains", Adam Carruthers, 32. Graham soon turned on Carruthers, tipping police off that he had cut down the iconic landmark in September 2023. The pair, who were each jailed for four years and three months, were convicted of criminal damage to the tree along with criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall, caused when the sycamore fell on the ancient monument. Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair had travelled more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, then carried their equipment across pitch-black moorland during a storm to carry out the act of vandalism. A wedge, which still hasn't been recovered, was taken from the tree as a trophy, while they revelled in national and international media coverage following the wrecking. So what drew the pair to carry out the felling? And was it more than just a "drunken prank"? Motive riddle Defending their case, the pair offered an underwhelming excuse for the infamous felling, claiming that it was a drunken prank. Despite their defence arguing that the act was "no more than drunken stupidity", neither the prosecution nor the judge were convinced. Andrew Gurney, for Adam Carruthers, insisted: '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 jailed the pair, saying their motivation was still not clear but a large factor seemed to be 'sheer bravado'. She told the defendants: '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.' Graham said that Carruthers had kept part of the tree as a 'trophy'. That accusation was put to Carruthers when he was asked under cross examination at the trial if he had kept a section of the trunk as a souvenir for his newborn daughter. It is believed that Carruthers had also cut down a tree to mark the birth of his first born daughter Charlie on Sept. 5, 2018. He wanted to go 'one better' for his second child Olivia and take a piece of the iconic sycamore. Like Graham, he had offered a series of pathetic lies to cover up his senseless crime, telling jurors that it was "just a tree" and he "did not understand" all the headlines. However, it was apparent he formed a "strange interest" in the Sycamore Gap tree, and in his workshop kept a length of string which he'd used to measure the circumference, knowing that when the time was right, he would cut it down. The "right time" for Carruthers came when Olivia, his second child, was born. Just 12 days later he and Graham set out in a black Range Rover to retrieve a "trophy" for her, a wedge cut from the trunk of what Carruthers called: "The most famous tree in the world." Friends to enemies The defendants were once close friends but have fallen out since their arrests, with Graham turning on Carruthers. Detectives received a call naming both the men responsible for the crime, and Graham found himself at the centre of a social media storm of abuse. He was forced to remove his name from his business vehicles and, in an anonymous phone call to Northumbria Police, named Carruthers as the man who had cut down the tree. When court proceedings first commenced, the pair turned up together, both dressed in balaclavas to hide their identities. But soon enough, Graham turned up alone, without any face covering. Giving evidence at his trial, Graham admitted he and Carruthers had been close but claimed he had 'no friends'. "You could say I am anti-social," he said. "I don't have much time for people." He claimed he had taken his car and phone without his permission on the night the tree was cut down. Graham's Range Rover was picked up on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras between Carlisle and Sycamore Gap at night on September 27 2023, and returning early the next morning. His mobile was traced to phone masts making the same journey. The judge said that, after admissions they had both made in pre-sentence reports, she could now be sure that Carruthers cut the Sycamore Gap tree down while Graham drove him there and filmed it on his phone. She told them: '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 went on to say: 'You told the probation officer it was (Carruthers') 'dream and his show' and you just went along with it.' Mrs Justice Lambert said: '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.' Vandal's grudge Carruthers tried to portray himself as a devoted dad and claimed that he was at home with partner Amy on the night the tree was cut down. But he could come up with no explanation for the series of texts and voice note messages he and Graham exchanged. Chris Knox, defending Graham, said: 'He is a troubled man who has had very real difficulties in his life, which have not all been of his own making.' His home, and the business he operated from it, were attacked after he was remanded in custody, anxd windows broken, the barrister said. Meanwhile, in the run up to the 'moronic mission', Graham held a grudge against authorities who rejected his bid to live near Hadrian's Wall and was locked in a bitter planning dispute with his local council. He was issued with an enforcement notice by Cumberland Council for his home and business premises at Millbeck Stables on the edge of Carlisle, Cumbria, within Hadrian's Wall 's UNESCO World Heritage site 'buffer zone'. Residents and planning officials from Beaumont Parish Council, a remote Cumbrian rural community, told how they felt threatened by Graham's 'dominant and oppressive behaviour'. The council rejected his retrospective bid to live on the site of his Millbeck Stables and warned he faced eviction. He was told he had until October 28, 2025, to find 'other accommodation', but he'll now be living out the next few years in prison. But the decision means Graham will have no home to come back to when he is released from his sentence. A final letter of refusal was made in April, 2023,with the Sycamore Gap tree felled little more than five months later. Several locals objected to his application to live on the site, and believe his rage against authority may have been part of his motivation for the crime.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Men who felled ‘iconic' Sycamore Gap tree sentenced
The two men who sparked global outrage after felling one of the most famous and well-loved trees have been jailed. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty of criminal damage after they caused the Sycamore Gap tree to fall onto Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland in September 2023. The pair used a chainsaw to hack down the 100-year-old tree which crashed into and damaged Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO world heritage site. On Tuesday both Graham and Carruthers were sentenced to prison for four years and three months. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers initially denied involvement in the Sycamore Gap tree's felling. Credit: AAP During the sentencing, Justice Christina Lambert said that the motive of the two men was not clear, but she believed the outrage following the crime gave them 'some sort of thrill,' the BBC reported. Justice Lambert said the tree was a landmark and a 'symbol of the untamed beauty' of the surrounding landscape. In a victim impact statement read to the court, National Trust manager Andrew Poad said the 'iconic tree can never be replaced'. Mr Poad said the vandalism was 'beyond comprehension' and that the destruction led to an 'overwhelming sense of loss and confusion felt across the world'. The tree sat in a saddle between two hills. Credit: Ian Forsyth / Getty Images The tree sat in a saddle between two hills and became an iconic location after being featured in Kevin Costner's 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It was a well loved spot and was often the site of marriage proposals. Scientifically known as Ace pseudoplatanus, the tree is native to central Europe, Italy and western Asia. It is likely the tree was introduced to the UK by the Romans. Hadrian's Wall was built by Emperor Hadrian and it stretches about 117km through the north of England from the banks of the River Tyne to Solway Firth.
