Two men convicted of cutting down the beloved Sycamore Gap tree were suspects in a probe into alleged homophobic assaults, it has been reported.
Last week, groundworker Daniel Graham, 39, and mechanic Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty of two counts of criminal damage in September 2023 – one to the much-photographed tree in Northumberland and one to Hadrian’s Wall, which was damaged when the sycamore fell on it.
More than a week earlier a man reported he had been subjected to homophobic abuse from a passenger in a black jeep while parked in a layby in Cumbria before a bag of icing sugar was thrown into his vehicle.
The complainant told the BBC he reported the incident to police the same night and gave a description of the vehicle and his recollection of its registration number, but was unable to identify any individuals involved.
Cumbria Police said it carried out checks against the registration number provided but it established the vehicle had not been in the county.
The BBC said the number plate given differed from that of Graham’s car by one letter.
It added that an officer from Cumbria Police later visited the complainant in April 2024 following a development in the case.
The BBC reported he was asked to watch a number of phone videos showing various men suffering homophobic abuse, including some having items thrown into their vehicles.
Cumbria Police confirmed two men were quizzed in 2024 after they received two reports of assault motivated by hate said to have taken place between September and October 2023.
A police spokeswoman said: “Cumbria Police thoroughly investigated each allegation of homophobic abuse reported.
“This was a complex investigation and followed multiple lines of inquiry to gather evidence and establish the circumstances of the reports.
“Following all evidential opportunities being explored and inquiries conducted, a comprehensive case including four other crimes was prepared and presented to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision in December 2024.
“The CPS found insufficient evidence to proceed to prosecution.”
A CPS spokeswoman said: “Our prosecutor carefully considered the evidence in respect of each incident and determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the available offences, partly due to the passage of time which meant certain offences could not be legally brought even if evidence was available.”
The CPS said it received a request to reconsider the decision and a further review from a separate prosecutor was conducted which also concluded there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.
The spokeswoman added: “We have explained our decision in full to the victim.
“We would always encourage any potential victims of hate crime to come forward and report to police, and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”
The complainant told the BBC he was given the names of the suspects after he challenged the decision.
He said: “I knew the names were in my mind somewhere. I Googled it and my words were ‘oh my God’, I realised who they were.”
Graham, of Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Wigton, Cumbria, were remanded in custody ahead of the tree felling sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on July 15.
