The two men who felled the tree at Sycamore Gap have each been jailed for four years and three months.
Former friends Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were convicted of criminal damage to the much-loved tree, which had stood for more than 100 years in a fold in the landscape.
They were also convicted of criminal damage to Hadrian’s Wall, caused when the sycamore fell on the ancient monument.
At trial, Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, told jurors the pair had engaged in a “moronic mission” to cut down the landmark, travelling for more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, then carrying their equipment across pitch black moorland during a storm back in September 2023.
Here is a timeline of the events leading up to the felling of the tree:
Wednesday 27 September 2023
10.02am – Graham sends a message to Carruthers saying: “Big storm tonight, we might get onto storm damage, get saws warmed up”.
5.20pm – Walker takes a picture of the Sycamore Gap tree, still standing.
10.23pm – Carruthers’ phone rings Graham’s phone for one minute and 18 seconds. Prosecutors say this is the last contact between them because after this, they were travelling together to Sycamore Gap.
11.35-11.38pm – Graham’s phone was picked up at cell sites on the A689 between Carlisle and Brampton.
11.37pm – Graham’s Range Rover captured by an ANPR camera at Brampton.
11.41pm – Graham’s phone ‘detaches’ from the network. Prosecutors say it was deliberately disconnected.
11.55pm – CCTV camera at the Twice Brewed Inn captures vehicle headlights travelling up and then making a left-hand turn towards the Steel Rigg Car Park, used by visitors to Sycamore Gap.
Thursday 28 September 2023
12.32am – A video is made on Graham’s phone showing the sound of a chainsaw, followed by the sound of a tree falling.
12.34am – Photograph taken on Graham’s iPhone, which prosecutors say shows the outline of the felled tree.
12.58am – CCTV camera at the Twice Brewed Inn shows vehicle headlights again, this time going the opposite way.
1.18am – Graham’s Range Rover captured by ANPR camera at Brampton again, this time travelling west back towards Carlisle.
1.26am – Range Rover captured on ANPR camera. Three minutes later Carruthers’ partner sends him a video of a child being bottle fed. He replies: “I’ve got a better video than that.” Eight minutes later, Graham’s phone sends the video of the tree being felled to Carruthers’ phone.
1.28am – Graham’s phone reconnects to the network.
2am – Photographs and two short videos taken on Graham’s mobile phone, at his home, show a piece of wood, next to a chainsaw, in the boot of his Range Rover.
9.46am – Police receive a report that the tree has been damaged. The investigation begins.
10.20am – Carruthers sends Graham an image of Facebook comments, with one circled that says: “Judging by the quality of the cut and size of tree I would say whoever it was has knowledge of how to fell large trees.”
They discuss another comment from a man called Kevin Hartness saying: “Some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour.” Carruthers sends another voice note to Graham saying: “I’d like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night hmm I don’t think he’s got the minerals.”
7.02pm – Graham sends another voice note to Carruthers saying: “It’s on f****** Sky News as we speak.” Prosecutors say this is one of numerous messages between the pair that day “revelling” in what they had done.
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Graham and Carruthers were arrested and interviewed. Police find two chainsaws, a chainsaw blade and a cover at Graham’s house.
Friday 3 November 2023
Graham and Carruthers were arrested and interviewed again. Carruthers’ property is searched, and a chainsaw is found.
Tuesday 30 April 2024
Graham and Carruthers are charged with criminal damage. They both later pleaded not guilty.
28 April 2025
The trial begins at Newcastle Crown Court.
During the trial, prosecutors could not be sure which of the pair cut down the tree, but the jury was told that both men were jointly responsible for the “mindless vandalism”.
A video was also taken of the destruction by one of the two men, the court was told, and a wedge of the tree was taken away as a “trophy”. The pair’s once-close friendship fell apart as the police investigation closed in on them.
Graham claimed during his evidence that Carruthers had a fascination with the sycamore, saying he had described it as “the most famous tree in the world” and spoken of wanting to cut it down, even keeping a piece of string in his workshop that he had used to measure the circumference.
Carruthers, despite being blamed by his friend, always claimed he knew nothing about who chopped the tree down and told the court he could not understand the outcry over the story, saying it was “just a tree”.
Friday 9 May 2025
Graham and Carruthers were found guilty of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree in an act of “deliberate and mindless criminal damage”.
There was no visible reaction from either in the dock as the jury returned after just over five hours to convict them of causing £622,191 of criminal damage to the tree and £1,144 of damage to the wall.
Tuesday 15 July
Graham and Carruthers were each sentenced to four years and three months' imprisonment.
During her sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Lambert said she could now be sure that Carruthers cut the Sycamore Gap tree down while Graham filmed him, after admissions they had both made in pre-sentence reports.
She told the defendants: “At the trial in May, neither of you accepted any involvement.
“In recent interviews with the Probation Service, although seeking to minimise your culpability, you admitted being present and involved.
“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.”
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