Latest news with #RobinHood:PrinceofThieves
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
UK tree-chopping duo get prison sentence
Two men found guilty of the "mindless" and "deliberate" felling of one of the UK's most iconic trees, which sparked national outrage, were on Tuesday jailed for more than four years, reported AFP. A jury at Newcastle Crown Court found former friends Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, guilty in May of criminal damage for the 2023 felling of the tree at Sycamore Gap. It had stood for nearly 200 years next to Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern England. The tree was so striking that it featured in the 1991 Hollywood film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". Sentencing the pair at the same court, Judge Christina Lambert said their actions had involved a "high degree of planning and preparation" and caused widespread "shock and bewilderment". For those who lived in the county the tree had become "a landmark, a symbol of the beauty of its untamed landscape", she said. Graham and Carruthers each received a sentence of four years and three months. Both men were convicted on two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to the Roman wall, which was damaged when the tree fell on it. "This iconic tree can never be replaced... it belonged to the people. It was totemic," said Andrew Poad, a manager with the National Trust conservation charity, in a victim impact statement read to the court. He said the felling was "beyond comprehension" and had caused "an overwhelming sense of loss and confusion". The pair drove to the site near Hexham in Graham's Range Rover and felled the tree on the night of September 27, 2023, slicing through the trunk with a chainsaw in "a matter of minutes", prosecutor Richard Wright told an earlier hearing. The pair were jointly charged with causing £622,191 ($832,821) of criminal damage to the tree and £1,144 of damage to Hadrian's Wall, an ancient Roman fortification stretching from northwest to northeast England.
Ammon
4 days ago
- Ammon
U.K. men sentenced to more than 4 years in prison for cutting tree
Ammon News - Two British men were sentenced to more than four years in prison on Tuesday for cutting down one of the most iconic trees in England, the Sycamore Gap Tree. The pair were found guilty in May of what a judge called a "deliberate and mindless" act of felling the tree as an apparent joke. Justice Christina Lambert sentenced both Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers to four years and three months in prison during a hearing at the Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday. The tree stood for nearly 200 years in a picturesque valley in northern England, right next to the remnants of Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The stone wall was constructed by Britain's Roman occupiers almost 2,000 years ago as a defensive structure, and the portion of the wall where the tree stood featured in a scene of the 1991 Hollywood blockbuster "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," with Kevin Costner, bringing the bucolic spot and the grand tree some degree of international fame. A jury at the same court had convicted the former friends on two counts each of criminal damage for their 2023 nighttime felling of the tree, for damaging both the sycamore maple tree and the Roman wall. They had faced a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in jail. CBS
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- AsiaOne
Men jailed for felling Britain's iconic 'Sycamore Gap' tree, Lifestyle News
LONDON — Two men were each jailed for over four years on Tuesday (July 15) for cutting down Britain's 'Sycamore Gap' tree, a much-loved and well-known global landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie. The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historic Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty last month of travelling from their homes in the middle of the night in September 2023 to deliberately cut it down with a chainsaw. They filmed what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission" on Graham's mobile phone and later bragged about it, before the pair's friendship descended into acrimony as the widespread anger at their actions became clear. Both had denied any involvement in the felling of the tree, which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and also damaged part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago and now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Graham and Carruthers did, however, accept their responsibility when speaking to probation officers, their lawyers said. Carruthers' lawyer Andrew Gurney described it as "drunken stupidity". Sentencing them to four years and three months in prison, Judge Christina Lambert told the men they had cut down the tree out of "sheer bravado". The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, said last August there were signs of life at the base of the tree, giving hope it might live 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. [[nid:720133]]
Perth Now
4 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.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Men jailed for felling UK's iconic 'Sycamore Gap' tree
Two men have each been jailed for more than four years for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, a much-loved and well-known global landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie. The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historical Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty last month of travelling from their homes in the middle of the night in September 2023 to deliberately cut it down with a chainsaw. They filmed what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission" on Graham's mobile phone and later bragged about it, before the pair's friendship descended into acrimony as the widespread anger at their actions became clear. Both had denied any involvement in the felling of the tree, which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and also damaged part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2000 years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Graham and Carruthers did, however, accept their responsibility when speaking to probation officers, their lawyers said. Carruthers' lawyer Andrew Gurney described it as "drunken stupidity". Sentencing them to four years and three months in prison, Judge Christina Lambert told the men they had cut down the tree out of "sheer bravado". The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, said last August there were signs of life at the base of the tree, giving hope it might live 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. Two men have each been jailed for more than four years for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, a much-loved and well-known global landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie. The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historical Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty last month of travelling from their homes in the middle of the night in September 2023 to deliberately cut it down with a chainsaw. They filmed what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission" on Graham's mobile phone and later bragged about it, before the pair's friendship descended into acrimony as the widespread anger at their actions became clear. Both had denied any involvement in the felling of the tree, which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and also damaged part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2000 years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Graham and Carruthers did, however, accept their responsibility when speaking to probation officers, their lawyers said. Carruthers' lawyer Andrew Gurney described it as "drunken stupidity". Sentencing them to four years and three months in prison, Judge Christina Lambert told the men they had cut down the tree out of "sheer bravado". The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, said last August there were signs of life at the base of the tree, giving hope it might live 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. Two men have each been jailed for more than four years for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, a much-loved and well-known global landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie. The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historical Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty last month of travelling from their homes in the middle of the night in September 2023 to deliberately cut it down with a chainsaw. They filmed what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission" on Graham's mobile phone and later bragged about it, before the pair's friendship descended into acrimony as the widespread anger at their actions became clear. Both had denied any involvement in the felling of the tree, which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and also damaged part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2000 years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Graham and Carruthers did, however, accept their responsibility when speaking to probation officers, their lawyers said. Carruthers' lawyer Andrew Gurney described it as "drunken stupidity". Sentencing them to four years and three months in prison, Judge Christina Lambert told the men they had cut down the tree out of "sheer bravado". The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, said last August there were signs of life at the base of the tree, giving hope it might live 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. Two men have each been jailed for more than four years for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, a much-loved and well-known global landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie. The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historical Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty last month of travelling from their homes in the middle of the night in September 2023 to deliberately cut it down with a chainsaw. They filmed what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission" on Graham's mobile phone and later bragged about it, before the pair's friendship descended into acrimony as the widespread anger at their actions became clear. Both had denied any involvement in the felling of the tree, which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and also damaged part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2000 years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Graham and Carruthers did, however, accept their responsibility when speaking to probation officers, their lawyers said. Carruthers' lawyer Andrew Gurney described it as "drunken stupidity". Sentencing them to four years and three months in prison, Judge Christina Lambert told the men they had cut down the tree out of "sheer bravado". The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, said last August there were signs of life at the base of the tree, giving hope it might live 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.
