Latest news with #Meikle
Powys County Times
17-07-2025
- Powys County Times
Powys farmer posed 'significant risk' to public health
A MONTGOMERYSHIRE farmer's actions posed a 'significant risk' to public health and the integrity of the food chain, following multiple breaches of animal health and welfare legislation. Alastair Meikle, of Gardd Afon, Tafolwern, near Llanbrynmair, was ordered to pay almost £3,500 by Llandrindod Wells Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, July 15, in a case brought by Powys County Council's animal health team. The defendant pleaded guilty to six offences in total, which included: • Failing to TB test cattle between October 2023 and April 2025, in breach of a notice issued under the Tuberculosis (Wales) Order 2010 • Obstructing a lawful inspection by refusing access to council officers and Dyfed-Powys Police, under the Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007 • Failing to produce sheep and goat records as required by the Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (Wales) Order 2015 • Failing to produce a pig register under the Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) (Wales) Order 2011 • Obstructing an inspector acting under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (Wales) Regulations 2014 • Failing to produce records relating to fallen stock, also under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (Wales) Regulations 2014 The court heard that Meikle had persistently failed to comply with legal requirements, including refusing access to his premises on multiple occasions and failing to register cattle with the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS). Despite claiming that no cattle remained on site, subsequent investigations revealed otherwise, with some animals only registered after legal proceedings had commenced. The court also heard that TB testing, which should have been completed in 2023, was only carried out in April and June 2025 following enforcement action. Meikle had initially failed to attend an initial court hearing in June, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest. Meikle, who was present at court this week, was fined £288 for each of the four records offences, making a total of £1,152. He was fined £480 for each of the obstruction offences, £960 in total. He was also ordered to pay £500 costs and an £844 surcharge – making a total financial penalty of £3,456. Councillor Richard Church, cabinet member for legal and regulatory services, said: 'This case highlights the importance of compliance with animal health legislation. 'The defendant's actions not only endangered animal welfare but also posed a significant risk to public health and the integrity of the food chain. 'Our animal health team rightly took the offences seriously and acted, resulting in this successful prosecution. If we come across similar cases in the future, we will prosecute.'
Powys County Times
16-07-2025
- Powys County Times
Powys farmer fined again for flouting animal health rules
A FARMER from Powys who refused to test his cattle for Bovine TB has been ordered to pay more £3,000 in court fines. Alastair Meikle 'repeatedly' expressed an anti-authority stance and claimed rules on keeping livestock didn't apply to him. Llandrindod Wells Magistrates' Court heard this week that the defendant failed to complete tuberculosis testing on his herd over a two-year period between 2022 and 2024 and then obstructed animal health inspectors, preventing them from entering his Montgomeryshire property and handing over records relating to the livestock on his farm. It comes after Meikle, of Gardd Afon, Tafolwern, Llanbrynmair, was fined more than £2,500 early in 2024 for flouting avian influenza rules and being 'threatening and verbally abusive' to council staff who visited his property to try and enforce them. Meikle, who was sentenced in his absence previously, was present at court on Tuesday, July 15, where he pleaded guilty to all six charges against him. These included: failing to complete the tuberculosis testing of his herd by October 22, 2023; failing to provide records of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs at his property; intentionally obstructing an authorised person; and failing to provide documents to that person. The offences occurred between October 30 and December 16 last year. Reshmi Mukherjee, prosecuting the case on behalf of Powys County Council, said the case had been brought against Meikle over his conduct as a livestock keeper. 'He has shown a blatant disregard for the statutory regulations of keeping cows, sheep, goats and pigs,' said Ms Mukherjee. 'He failed to produce records and of particular concern is that the cattle were not registered with the British Cattle Movement Service. 'He had previously asserted his cattle had perished or been removed. He failed to respond or confirm the whereabouts of the cattle. 'Ear tags reported as deceased cattle have become reactivated. There has been no Bovine TB testing at the property since 2022.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app She said that Meikle had recently began complying and testing had been carried out in April and June of this year. 'Data showed that all cattle are TB free, but this should have been completed in 2023,' added Ms Mukherjee. 'It was not an oversight, he had been trying to mislead authorities. 'He was served with an inspection notice in October last year but on October 30 he was not present. He'd locked all the gates, barring lawful access to his land. 'On December 16, police and animal health officers attended, he was present but refused them entry. He declined to produce any records.' She played video footage in court of Meikle's interaction with police officers and the animal health inspectors. Speaking in his own defence, Meikle apologised for his 'inappropriate' behaviour. 'I've never traded in animals, we slaughter them and eat them ourselves. They never leave the farm,' he said. 'I'm fully compliant now and I sincerely regret my actions. I fully accept responsibility. 'To explain, not excuse, I was under the mistaken impression that the full scope of the regulations did not apply to me. 'I have taken corrective steps, complied and undergone testing on my cattle. I am now keeping thorough records. 'I apologise for my intention to obstruct, my action at the time was inappropriate and I regret it. I have learnt from the experience.' Geraint Evans, chair of the bench, told Meikle: 'Legislation is there to protect local farmers, as well as the rest of Wales and the public. 'We are pleased to hear you have acknowledged your responsibility.' Meikle was fined £288 for each of the four records offences, plus £480 for each obstruction offence. He must pay £500 costs and an £844 surcharge – making a total of £3,456.
Scottish Sun
15-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
From bragging posts to iconic vid – the damning evidence that led to arrest of idiots who chopped down Sycamore Gap tree
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE two idiots who felled the historic Sycamore Gap tree have finally been jailed for their shocking crime. Now, we reveal the damning evidence that led to their conviction, from bragging posts to a shocking video of the chopping. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 The two men who chopped down the Sycamore Gap tree have finally been jailed Credit: EPA 10 The historic tree had stood by Hadrian's Wall for more than a century before it was felled in September 2023 Credit: AFP 10 Video footage extracted from one of the criminals' phones shows how Carruthers cut down the tree using a chain saw late at night Credit: PA Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were jailed on Tuesday for four years and three months each. Detective Inspector Calum Meikle, who investigated the felling, said he knew he'd solved the crime when he saw the tree's "fantastically famous outline" on one of the perpetrator's phones. He revealed that officers were "tipped off" about Graham and Carruthers' involvement a few weeks after the shocking felling of the historic tree in September 2023. The tip-off stated that the pair of ground workers were responsible for chopping the tree down, even keeping a piece of the wood as a trophy. This led to the arrest of both men and seizing of their phones. Speaking to the Daily Mail, DI Meikle said a video recovered from Graham's device was incredibly dark, with details almost impossible to see. However, after sending it to be digitally enhanced, investigators discovered they had found evidence of the tree being destroyed. Gasps could be heard at Newcastle Crown Court as the now iconic grainy black and white video - accompanied by the sound of a revving chainsaw and cracking wood - was shown for the first time. DI Meikle said: "I'm always impressed with what our digital forensic units are able to achieve. "But, as you have seen from the video, as the person filming moves back, it shows us that fantastically famous outline (which) was undoubtedly the Sycamore Gap tree. Men who cut down iconic Sycamore Gap tree sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in jail "I was very pleased to have that evidence." Graham's phone also housed multiple other pieces of damning evidence, including photographs of a wedge of the tree trunk taken by the criminal as well as that of a chainsaw in the boot of his Range Rover. The pair of idiots not only chopped down the history tree but also damaged Hadrian's Wall during their "moronic mission". In just two minutes and 41 seconds, the two men chopped down the tree, which had stood next to the historic wall for more than a century. At their trial, the court heard how the pair had only recently admitted to responsibility for the felling in interviews with the Probation Service. They accepted they drove 30 miles through a storm to chop down the iconic landmark in the early hours of September 28, 2023. 10 Pictures recovered from Graham's phone show a piece of the iconic tree, and the chainsaw used for the shocking act, in the back of his vehicle Credit: PA 10 DI Meikle said he knew he'd solved the crime when he saw the tree's 'fantastically famous outline' on Graham's phone footage Credit: PA 10 The pair of idiots had travelled from Carlisle overnight to commit the shocking act of vandalism Credit: PA Mrs Justice Christina Lambert said: "I can now be sure you, Adam Carruthers, were the person who felled the tree and you, Daniel Graham, assisted and encouraged him by driving there and back and not least by filming it on your phone." As they fled the scene, Carruthers forwarded the sick video to his partner. The wedge of the iconic tree - which was photographed in their vehicle - has never been found. Following their shocking crime, and as news broke of the vandalism, the pair shared social media posts about the tree, with Graham saying to Carruthers "here we go," as they "revelled" in reports of the crime. Although prosecutors said the friends had chopped the famous tree down for "a bit of a laugh," and suggested Carruthers was so obsessed with the Sycamore Gap that he wanted the wedge as a special souvenir for his newborn daughter, neither has offered any proper explanation for why they did what they did. This week, Carruthers claimed he had drunk a bottle of whisky and could barely remember chopping down the tree - although the judge said this was implausible due to the skill and coordination of the crime. Andrew Gurney, representing Carruthers, said he had made the admissions in a pre-sentence report. 10 Judge Mrs Justice Lambert delivered the sentencing of both criminals this week Credit: PA 10 Daniel Graham, 39, has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for his role in the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree 10 Adam Carruthers, 32 - who chopped the tree down with a chainsaw - has also been jailed for the same time He said: "He does wish to cleanse his conscience of what he has done. 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.' Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said there had been a 'high degree of planning and premeditation'. He said: "This was an expedition which required significant planning in terms of taking a vehicle, driving for about 40 minutes to a car park, taking with them appropriate specialist equipment, carrying the equipment for about 20 minutes' walk in each direction. 'The felling was carried out in a deliberate, professional way.' On the other side, Graham continued to blame his accomplice, insisting cutting the tree down had been Carruthers' "dream" and "his show" which he simply went along with. The criminal also claimed he was "shocked" that Carruthers had followed through with his plan.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Tip-off helped police crack Sycamore Gap case, senior detective says
The detective in charge of cracking the Sycamore Gap investigation has revealed a tip-off led police to catch the two men responsible. Detective Inspector Calum Meikle declined to tell reporters if that information came from someone close to the perpetrators, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers. But when officers found on Graham's phone a video – albeit shot in the pitch black and needing digital enhancement – of the tree being chopped down, that convinced him that the information was good. And once experts worked on the video to change the contrast, it was a 'fantastic' piece of evidence to put before the jury, Mr Meikle said. He told reporters: 'As everybody has now seen, the outline of the tree is so recognisable. 'As soon as you see the video… you can see the tree, then, yes, it was confirmation, for me that we were certainly looking in the right direction.' The detective could not shed more light on the key question that people who have followed the case wanted to know – why the pair carried out their idiotic plan. In a pre-sentencing interview, Mr Meikle was asked about the possible motive and said: 'That is probably the question that I get asked the most. 'That is possibly the element of this entire case that is most frustrating to everybody, and it potentially is the one question that will never be truly known.' Faced with the tough task of solving a crime committed in the middle of the night, in a remote corner of Northumberland, miles from any potential witnesses and with little CCTV in the vicinity, the detective revealed how the investigation process started back in September 2023. He said: 'You revert back to old school policing techniques, and you start at the scene, and you essentially work outwards. 'That was the situation that I found myself in, where we had a very remote scene with very little in the way of CCTV – all the things that you would fall back on to look at – that wasn't immediately available.' That included taking DNA evidence from the stump and saw dust at the scene, which could later be linked to a chainsaw if one was recovered from a suspect. The key, he said, was 'making sure that I was alive to everything that was that was coming in, making sure that every element that it was that was possible to follow, we followed.' He added: 'As with any police investigation, sometimes we will rely upon information or intelligence being passed. 'It happened that some information was passed to police that identified Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers as being responsible.' Mr Meikle said the amount of public interest made it unique in his 21-year-long police career. He said: 'I think the fact that we are here today, nearly two years on, and the public and media interest is almost the same as it was on the day that it was found makes it very unique. 'There's a lot of feeling locally and globally that's become very apparent, something that you don't see on anything else. 'So I do understand that I've been in a very fortunate position to be the OIC (officer in charge) of the investigation.' Mr Meikle revealed that he had two officers continually working alongside him on the inquiry, calling the team 'proportionately sized, very compact but efficient', with digital specialists and other experts helping when required. Asked if the weight of public expectation was heavy, he replied: 'No, and that is an honest answer, because I was focused solely on the investigation.' But when the court case began, with national and international interest, the detective realised the amount of pressure the team had been under to crack the case. He said he was 'very proud' of the investigation and what had been achieved, saying: 'Northumbria Police and myself strive to provide an outstanding service, and that is always at the forefront of your mind when you're doing an investigation.'
ITV News
15-07-2025
- ITV News
'Tip-off' helped solve case of Sycamore Gap felling as force reverted to 'old school' policing
A tip-off helped crack the case of the Sycamore Gap tree felling, the officer in charge of the investigation has revealed. Northumbria Police reverted to "old-school policing techniques" as they found themselves on the hunt for those responsible for the crime - carried out on a stormy night in the middle of rural Northumberland in September 2023. Detective Inspector Calum Meikle said it was thanks to a piece of information linking Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers to the felling, which also resulted in damage to Hadrian's Wall, that enabled the force to solve the case. Describing the challenges of such a remote crime, Det Insp Meikle said: "You start at the scene and you essentially work outwards, and that was the situation I found myself in, in a unique situation where we had a very remote scene with very little in the way of CCTV - all the things that you would fall back to look at, that wasn't immediately available." He continued: "As with any police investigation, we will rely upon information or intelligence being passed. "It happened that some information was passed to police that identified Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers as being responsible." The pair were both jailed for four years and three months at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday 15 July 2025. A dark video was later discovered on Graham's phone that, with some forensic magic, captured the moment the much-loved tree was cut with a chainsaw before falling to the ground. "The fact that we had a video of the Sycamore Gap being felled...I was very pleased that that had been located," Det Insp Meikle continued. "Very pleased. I can't underplay that at all. It's a fantastic piece of evidence but it still had to be proven." Graham and Carruthers were charged with causing £622,191 of criminal damage to the tree as well as causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Both are owned by the National Trust. They were found guilty in May this year following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court. The jury heard the pair drove for 40 minutes from the Carlisle area to the Sycamore Gap site, cutting down the tree in the early hours of 28 September 2023. The court was told the once best friends had fallen out in the aftermath of the felling and had both pinned the blame on each other, with Graham making his own anonymous tip-off to police, naming Carruthers as responsible. Asked whether without the initial tip-off, naming the pair, the force would have got to the bottom of the case, Det Insp Meikle said: "That's a good question." He added: "The tenacity of the team, I'd like to think that we would have done but sometimes you create your own luck and you've also got to ensure that what you do gather you look at with a critical eye and you understand what it means. "So, again, we're only where we are now because of a good team." The much-photographed tree had stood for about 150 years in the dip, known as Sycamore Gap, alongside Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland and news of its felling was reported across the globe. Having visited the landmark himself, Det Insp Meikle described the case as "unique" and said the public and media interest had sustained in the nearly two years since its felling. "The impact that it has had is so far-reaching it still surprises me," he said, adding: "It's very sad that generations to come will never see what we have all seen. "It's something that will never be possible to recreate so I am mindful to what this means to everybody." Following the sentencing of Graham, 39, of Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, the officer in charge of the investigation said: "I'm very pleased that I've been able to do my job properly." Find out the full story in Sycamore Gap: Britain's Lost Landmark on ITV1 at 10.45pm tonight.
