Latest news with #MrCarruthers
BBC News
08-05-2025
- BBC News
Sycamore Gap jury retires to consider its verdict
The relationship between the pair Image source, CPS Prosecutors said both men were good friends at the time and worked together felling trees. Both had sought to downplay their skills and experience with chainsaws, with Mr Carruthers' barrister telling jurors his client admitted lying but feared what police would make of him if he admitted he knew his way round a chainsaw. On 17 August, about a month before the Sycamore Gap felling, Daniel Graham filmed a video of his "best pal" chopping up a tree, one of multiple tree trimming and felling jobs they performed together. The pair had become close in 2021 when Mr Carruthers fixed a Land Rover which belonged to Mr Graham's dad, ensuring the vehicle was ready for the father's funeral after he took his own life. Their friendship exploded "spectacularly" however in the aftermath of the felling when, as prosecutors said, the "public revulsion" at their actions became clear to them. While Mr Carruthers said he had "no clue" who felled the tree, Mr Graham pointed the finger squarely at his once friend. He said his erstwhile best mate was fascinated with the tree, treasured a piece of string he had used to measure its circumference and had mentioned chopping it down when buying a large chainsaw (all of which Mr Carruthers vehemently denied). Mr Graham claimed he had not heard of the tree until Mr Carruthers told him about it in 2021, although went on to admit he had reported a car stolen from Steel Rigg, the car park used by visitors to the tree and whoever felled it, the previous December. He told the court he had been walking in the area but had not known about the world famous tree nearby, and while he had seen the tree in the 1991 movie Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, he had not known where it was filmed. After initially saying he did not want to "grass" on his friend, Mr Graham deliberately showed police pictures of Mr Carruthers standing next to chainsaws and, when he felt that had not adequately shifted the blame on to his pal, made an anonymous call to officers in August 2024 saying Mr Carruthers had the wedge of wood taken from the tree and the chainsaw used. Neither of the items nor the guns Mr Graham claimed Mr Carruthers had were found when police carried out a search. Mr Graham also told jurors Mr Carruthers asked him to take the blame as the police would be more lenient on him because of his "mental health issue", which Mr Carruthers firmly denied.
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Telegraph
Sycamore Gap ‘just a tree', claims man accused of its felling
Mr Carruthers was also asked about a voice note he sent to Mr Graham on Sept 28 2023 referring to 'an operation like we did last night'. He said: 'I think it's been interpreted wrong, it should be 'launch an operation like what he did last night'. I'm referring to the person who done the job. 'It might sound as if I'm being sexist saying it's a man, but I wouldn't have thought it would have been a woman who done it.' Carruthers said he 'had no idea' who was responsible for cutting down the tree and 'nothing was ever mentioned to me that [Mr Graham] had anything to do with it'. Asked why his friendship with Mr Graham ended, Mr Carruthers said his co-accused came to see him at work one night and told him: 'I'm going to go my way and you're going to go yours – I believe you have been grassing on me.' Mr Gurney asked if Mr Carruthers had 'grassed him up' and the defendant said he had not. He denied ever using a piece of string to measure the tree at Sycamore Gap or asking his co-defendant to take the blame for felling it, as Graham claimed during his evidence. Asked if he had a fixation on the tree, Mr Carruthers said: 'No, not at all.'
