It appeared to be a daunting task to catch the vandals responsible for the destruction of a much-loved tree in a remote corner of Northumberland, away from witnesses and in the dead of night.
Amid a national fury at the senseless act, Northumbria Police set to work to track down those responsible for a seemingly motiveless crime which had inflamed social media and led the TV news.
Then police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness, since elected as North East Mayor, was “incandescent” and promised “officers will do their utmost to catch whoever is behind this”.
A detective inspector was assigned to lead the investigation, despite criminal damage usually being categorised as a more minor crime.
Indeed, when the case came to trial, the Crown Prosecution Service appointed a King’s Counsel to lead the case and a High Court judge was chosen to preside.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested on the day of the felling but he was released without charge.
A lumberjack in his 60s was also questioned and told reporters after he was bailed that he was innocent.
Police told him he would face no further action in December 2023.
Others had come under scrutiny following public tip-offs including people who had issues with the National Trust and even a boy who reported his brother.
But by the end of October 2023, police had identified and arrested friends Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, who lived in the Carlisle area.
Northumbria Police were reluctant to explain how they came to identify the two, apart from saying it followed “intelligence-led policing”.
Number plate recognition cameras had identified that Graham’s Range Rover had been driven to a nearby car park at the relevant time, Newcastle Crown Court previously heard.
The movement of Graham’s phone was tracked using network masts and indicated that it had travelled east from the Carlisle area, before being switched off.
And when police recovered his mobile from his jacket pocket, they found a video of the tree being felled on a pitch black night.
That video was enhanced by a digital specialist to make the picture clearer and it proved to be a piece of telling evidence.
In his police interview a month after the tree was felled, Graham told the police that the guilty person had young children but did not specifically name co-accused Carruthers, a father-of-two.
And in August last year, he made an anonymous phone call to the 101 number and said: “One of the lads that done it, Adam Carruthers, has got the saws back in his possession.”
Asked in court why he had decided to “grass” on his former friend, Graham said publicity around the crime and his arrest had led to a backlash against his business.
For whatever reason, the former friends were at loggerheads, each blaming the other for a crime which shocked the country.
Following their conviction, Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police said: “The Sycamore Gap tree was an iconic landmark – recognisable across the world – and which held a special place in the hearts of many.
“In September 2023, we woke to the devastating news that the tree had been cut down. Since then, we have been carrying out a meticulous investigation to identify those responsible. Due to the unwavering commitment of those involved in the case, today we have seen two men be found guilty of damaging not only the tree but also Hadrian’s Wall.
“We often hear references made to mindless acts of vandalism – but that term has never been more relevant than today in describing the actions of those individuals. At no point have the two men given an explanation for why they targeted the tree – and there never could be a justifiable one.”
