A wedge removed from the famous Sycamore Gap tree, and taken away as a “trophy”, was filmed in the boot of one of the suspect’s car, prosecutors have alleged.
Ground worker Daniel Graham, 39, of Carlisle and mechanic Adam Carruthers, 32, of Wigton, Cumbria each deny two counts of criminal damage to the tree and the wall, overnight on September 28 2023.
They are accused of using a “hinge and wedge technique” to remove a section of the tree before a chainsaw was used to take it down.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the jury that video on Graham’s phone, taken in the hours after the tree was chopped down, showed a piece of wood and chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle.
Jurors heard that a forensic video analyst concluded there was “no doubt” that the vehicle was Graham’s Range Rover.
Mr Wright added that a forensic botanist found “very strong evidence to support the hypothesis that the wedge of wood depicted originated from the felled tree at Sycamore Gap”.
He told the jury: “Not content with filming the cutting down of the tree or photographing the aftermath, the prosecution suggest that the defendants took the wedge of the tree from the scene, perhaps as some sort of trophy.”
Key points
- Suspects told police he was being 'fixed up', jury hears
- Suspect tells police 'I know who's done it', jury told
- Suspect went to Sycamore Gap to 'see what had been done', jury told
- Missing 'wedge of Sycamore Gap tree' pictured in suspect's car boot, jury told
- Two chainsaws seized from work shed during suspect's arrest, jury told
Trial adjourned for the night
16:51 , Jane DaltonThe trial at Newcastle Crown Court has been adjourned until 10.30am on Friday.
Watch: Tree 'being chopped down’
16:49 , Jane Dalton
Watch full video shown at Sycamore Gap trial ‘showing tree being chopped down’
Suspect replied 'no comment' to all questions
16:29 , Jane DaltonPolice interviewed Adam Carruthers a second time on 3 November 2023 but he answered “no comment” to all questions, Newcastle Crown Court has heard.
Second suspect 'could not recall evening when tree felled'
16:07 , Jane DaltonAdam Carruthers, who was first interviewed by police on the same day as Daniel Graham, 31 October 2023, he said he recalled making friends with Graham and they had visited a tractor show together.
He could not remember what happened on the evening of 27 September and said his partner had given birth on 15 September.
Carruthers told police he knew the area of Sycamore Gap because he had driven past while going to visit a friend, but he was not there on the night the tree was felled.
He said he did not know who was responsible for the felling, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He said that he had not felled a tree before, although he would “have a go” if someone asked.
Chainsaws are nasty things, second suspect said
15:58 , Jane DaltonMechanic Adam Carruthers told police he had never felled a tree and thought chainsaws were “nasty things”, adding that he would rather “stick with spanners”, Newcastle Crown Court has been told.
Jurors heard transcripts of Carruthers’ first police interview on 31 October 2023, when he said he worked in property maintenance and mechanics. He told officers he and his partner had just had a baby and he had been staying with her in her caravan.
Carruthers said he had probably been looking after the baby on the night the Sycamore Gap tree had been felled, and that it had been “stressful and tiring” as his partner was recovering from a Cesarean section.
He told officers he did not own a chainsaw and had not used one for months, which would probably have been on a fencing job.
Carruthers said: “If I’m honest, I’m not really a fan of them because they’re nasty things.”
He told police he had never felled a tree before, saying: “If someone said ‘there’s a tree and there’s a saw, cut that down,’ I’d have a go but I’ve never done it.”
He went on to say: “I wouldn’t be keen doing it, I wouldn’t jump at the chance if I’m honest, like. I wouldn’t fancy that – I’ll stick with spanners.”
Watch: Court sees video of 'tree being chopped down’
15:53 , Jane DaltonSuspect 'refused to blame someone else'
15:34 , Jane DaltonDaniel Graham told police: “I have never been a grass and I’m not going to f***** start now.
“I’m not going to start ruining people’s families.
“If I get the blame, I get the f****** blame. I ain’t going to sit here and give someone else’s name.”
Asked if the allegation that he was involved would ruin his life, he replied: “I don’t have any family so I don’t give a f***”, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Asked if the tree being felled was a shock, he replied: “Aye, it’s a shock but not a surprise.”
When the police asked him if he denied being responsible for the crime, he said: “1,000 per cent, I will tell you now, it was not me stood by the tree with the chainsaw.”
He added: “If I get the blame, I will deal with it.”
'Here we go suspect said' as media reported tree felling
15:29 , Jane DaltonDaniel Graham told police that he did not remember sending Adam Carruthers a message saying “Here we go” the morning after the tree was felled as the media picked up on the story, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He replied “no comment” when he was asked who had cut the tree down and whether there was a reason for it.
He said: “I have no reason on this planet to go and fell this f***** tree, all right.
“I’m not going to speak any f****** more about it.
“I will sort this problem myself.”
Suspect denies filming phone clip of tree being cut down
15:25 , Jane DaltonIn an interview with police, Daniel Graham was shown a video taken from his mobile phone that prosecutors say shows the Sycamore Gap tree being cut down.
Asked about the sound of a chainsaw on the footage, he said: “From the sound there I guarantee whatever saws you’ve got from mine – not one of them will sound like that.”
Telling officers he couldn’t see anything on the video, Graham said: “Can you not do something about this light because I’m pretty sure you’re going to be able to see the person who is by the tree.”
Graham then answered “no comment” when asked whether it was him in the video felling the tree.
When told the coordinates where the video was filmed matched Sycamore Gap, Graham said: “That might be my phone but it doesn’t mean that I was stood behind it.”
An officer asked him: “Your phone was there so were you videoing that?” He replied: “No.”
Graham answered “no comment” when asked whether someone else had used his phone or whether he had seen the video before. He gave the same reply when asked about two videos and a photo on his phone showing a chunk of a tree and a chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle.
Suspect blamed children
15:20 , Jane DaltonIn a second police interview four days later, Daniel Graham told detectives “there’s kids involved in all this s***”.
But he declined to elaborate further, adding: “I’m not going to f*** someone’s life, I’m not going to f*** some kids’ life (lives), so I will go no comment.”
Graham was asked about a message he sent to Adam Carruthers on the morning before the tree was felled in which he said “big storm tonight we might get onto storm damage get saws warmed up”.
Graham told police that comment was about work which he anticipated would come in later.
Referring to felling the famous tree, he said: “I don’t have the time to do a job like that for free.”
He told the police that storms were “great” for business, clearing wind-blown damage.
“I do it for a wage, I don’t do stuff for free,” he said.
'Nothing to do with me,' suspect told police, jury hear
15:00 , Alex RossDuring the police interview with Graham, he is asked if detectives will find anything linking him to the offence, the jury hear.
Graham told officers: “F*** all… I’ve got chainsaws but I know none of my saws have been there, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
“I’m proper raging, I’m boiling because this is my life, by the time I get home I’m going to be the centre of Facebook because some daft ***** put my name forward.
“That Sycamore Gap’s got nothing to do with me.”
Suspect told police he visited Sycamore Gap out of 'curiosity' after felling, jury hears
14:48 , Alex RossWe’re back from lunch and to the transcript of suspect Daniel Graham’s first police interview after his arrest in October 2023.
He told police in an interview he had been to Sycamore Gap “now and again over the years” while travelling in his campervan.
He said the last time he had visited before the tree was cut down was “way before September (2023)”.
Asked why he went after it had been felled, Graham replied: “Curiosity, because it was all over the internet. Just being nosy like everyone else to be honest.”
Suspect asked by police if had any disputes with anyone
14:28The jury has been taken through transcript of suspect Daniel Graham’s first police interview after his arrest on October 31 2023.
He told the officer he thought he was being “fixed up” and mentioned a “pikey down the road” who he said he was in dispute with.
He said there had been Facebook messages accusing him and Adam Carruthers of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree.
Asked by police if he had any other disputes, Graham said: “The only thing I could go along with is that f****** pikey that hit my pal. That was it.”
Suspect said his phone was fitted with facial recognition and a passcode, jury told
14:10 , Alex RossDaniel Graham’s phone has been a key part of the prosecution’s case, with data from it used to pinpoint its location at the time of the Sycamore Gap tree coming down.
A video allegedly showing the tree coming down was discovered on his phone.
Asked in police interview on his arrest if he would lend his mobile phone to other people, he said: “My phone’s there if someone needs it, if someone wants to use it I’ll let them use it.”
He said it was fitted with facial recognition and a passcode.
Asked if there was anything on his phone that would link him to the Sycamore Gap damage, Graham said: “No, f*** all … I have got no worries about what’s on that phone.”
Suspects had a close friendship, jury hears
13:47 , Alex RossFrom his police interview, Daniel Graham told officers he and Adam Carruthers had a close friendship because they had worked together fixing a Jeep that belonged to Graham’s late father.
Asked if Carruthers had ever worked for him, Graham said: “He does tree work with us. All Adam does is tree work.”
Asked whether Carruthers was an experienced tree surgeon, Graham replied: “I wouldn’t say tree surgeon. He’s keen. You can put him up a tree with ropes and not worry he’s going to come down.”
Suspect told police he was being 'fixed up', jury hears
13:35 , Alex RossDaniel Graham told police in interview that he was being “fixed up” and mentioned a “fake profile” and a “pikey down the road” when asked who he was in dispute with, the jury hears.
He told police there had been an altercation where Carruthers was assaulted and Facebook messages later appeared accusing him and Carruthers of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.
He said: “Someone stirring the pot.”
Asked if the dispute was ongoing, he replied: “Obviously it’s not finished because I’m f****** in here.”
Suspect told police co-accused takes his Range Rover 'whenever he needs it'
13:30 , Alex RossMore on the use of that Range Rover now with the transcript of the police interview with Daniel Graham.
Graham told police other people had used his Range Rover in the past, including co-accused Adam Carruthers, but that he did not know if anyone had been using it on September 27-28.
The tree came down on the night of September 27.
Graham said: “It’s [Range Rover] there to use, that’s all it’s there for.”
Graham later added: “Adam takes it whenever he needs it like. A good pal, Adam.”
'Whoever wants the vehicle, takes the vehicle,' suspect told police
13:16As has already been put forward by the prosecution, it is alleged that suspect Daniel Graham’s Range Rover was driven to Sycamore Gap when the tree was cut down.
In police interview, the jury hear that Graham said he had 11 vehicles associated with his business and anyone who needed to drive them was allowed.
“Whoever wants the vehicle, takes the vehicle, it’s how it works,” he said.
Graham told police there was no booking-out procedure and he expected whoever was borrowing a vehicle would ensure they were insured.
Asked if any of the vehicles would be in the area of Sycamore Gap at the time the tree was felled, he replied: “Not by myself, no.”
Suspect told police he sometimes cut down trees for business, jury hears
13:00Suspect Daniel Graham answered questions from police about his work as a self-employed groundworker.
He said he sometimes cut trees for business and had wagons, tippers and dumpers. He said he owned three of four chainsaws.
Asked if any of these chainsaws could be linked to cutting down the sycamore, Graham told police: “They wouldn’t be big enough.”
He said he would need to check a tree out prior to cutting it down as part of his work.
Asked how he would cut down the tree at Sycamore Gap, he replied: “I have never done a large fell, I haven’t been trained for that.”
'I don't plan anything,' suspect tells police in interview
12:52 , Alex RossSuspect Daniel Graham told detectives in police interview he would go for a drive in his campervan and sometimes he had trouble sleeping, the jury is told.
“I will go and see one of my pals,” he said. “It won’t be a long trip, I just f*** off in the car.
“I don’t plan anything, like. I don’t have plans for tomorrow, never mind the day after.”
He said he used to live by routine in the past, but not any longer.
He could not remember if his partner, whom he named as Lisa Shields, was with him on the night the tree was felled.
“She could have been at mine that night, I don’t go to hers,” he told police.
Suspect told police 'I know who's done it', jury told
12:45 , Alex RossThe jury is now talked through the answers given by Graham after being asked where he was on the night of the Sycamore Gap tree being chopped down.
Members hear that Graham replied: “It’s a month ago, I haven’t a f***** clue to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t know.
“I don’t really do a lot to be fair. I’m either at work, the yard or the bird’s round.”
He went on to say: “If I had been with anybody else that night it would be either with the bird or with one of my pals.”
Graham told police: “I know who’s done it and I’m going to get my own back”, but then said he meant he knew who had accused him.
He said: “It’s nowt to do with me and I don’t know who’s done it, but I know who’s put my name forwards. I know who’s made the allegation … I know who’s done this to me.”
Suspect went to Sycamore Gap to 'see what had been done', jury told
12:43 , Alex RossWe’re now hearing about the police interview with suspect Daniel Graham following his arrest on 31 October.
Jurors are being taken through the transcript by DI Meikle and the junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown.
The jury is told Graham answered “no” when asked if he was responsible for felling the tree.
Asked what he knew about it, he said: “Just what I seen on the internet and obviously the news. I know about as much as everybody else does, it’s all over national news.”
He then said he had been to Sycamore Gap after the tree had been chopped down, the jury is told.
“After it had been done because I was up there, just to have a look. I couldn’t tell you the date but it was afterwards,” Graham said.
Leading officer in the police investigation takes to the witness box
12:36Following a break in proceedings, the jury is now back in place and Detective Inspector Calum Meikle has stepped up to give evidence from the witness box.
The officer in the case, he says: “My role is to ensure that all reasonable lines of inquiries are followed and identify lines of inquiry.
“I then review and collate, retain and record all the information, the evidence, and present that as a case to the Crown Prosecution Service.”
Mr Meikle says he took charge of the case the day after it happened.
He agrees with Rebecca Brown, junior counsel for the prosecution, that some tasks would have been undertaken by members of his team, but that he oversaw those tasks.
Missing 'wedge of Sycamore Gap tree' pictured in suspect's car boot, jury told
12:16As has been previously been put forward by the prosecution in the case, a wedge was taken out of the tree as part of a “hinge and wedge technique” to take down the tree.
That wedge has never been found.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the jury that it was taken away from the scene in suspect Daniel Graham’s Range Rover.
Two photographs and two videos of a piece of wood and a chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle were taken, using Graham’s phone, at his home address, just after 2am on September 28.
A forensic video analyst concluded there was “no doubt” the vehicle was the same as Graham’s Range Rover, the jury was told.
Mr Wright added: “A forensic botanist has confirmed that there is very strong evidence to support the hypothesis that the piece of wood in the video and images is the wedge that was taken from Sycamore Gap.
“This was perhaps a trophy taken from the scene to remind them of their actions, actions that they appear to have been revelling in.”
Sycamore Gap chainsaw and wedge of trunk not found by police, jury told
11:44 , Alex RossAs the jury has been told, three chainsaws were seized in searches during the arrests of both suspects; Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham.
The pair are charged with two counts of criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian’s Wall, overnight on September 28 2023.
When police first arrested Graham at his home in Carlisle on 31 October 2023, his home was searched and two chainsaws were seized from a work shed, the jury was told this morning.
And when Carruthers was arrested for a second time on 3 November 2023, the Old Fuel Depot site in Wigton, where he lived in a caravan, was searched with a chainsaw found in a shipping container.
None of the chainsaws found in the searches are said to be the one used in felling the Sycamore Gap tree, jurors has been told.
How felling of iconic tree allegedly unfolded
11:31 , Alex RossA short break now the reading of agreed facts to the jury has concluded.
Here’s a timeline of the alleged incidents up to the chopping down of the Sycamore Gap tree, and afterwards.
It is from evidence produced by the prosecution in the trial. We are yet to hear the case from both defendants.
Sycamore Gap timeline: How felling of iconic tree allegedly unfolded
Police also searched suspect's father's 'cluttered' home, jury told
11:14The jury is now told how suspect Adam Carruthers’ father’s house in Wigton, Cumbria, was also searched by police in November.
Junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown tells jurors: “The reason for the search was to look for outstanding property, namely a chainsaw and a wedge from the tree.”
Ms Brown says the house was “extremely cluttered with access to most rooms difficult because of this” and there was no sign of any chainsaws or a wedge from a tree.
The house was also searched, she says, for chainsaw parts, chainsaw packaging; felling equipment, mobile phones, receipts of any relevant purchases, banking details, silver spray paint, clothing stained in silver paint and relevant footwear.
None of these items were discovered.
Chainsaw also discovered at site other suspect lived, jury told
11:11Junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown is now detailing the arrests of both suspects - Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham.
Carruthers was first arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on October 31 2023 at the caravan where he was living at The Old Fuel Depot at Kirkbride Airfield, Wigton.
A month later, he was arrested for a second time, with a chainsaw found in a shipping container at The Old Fuel Depot site.
Two chainsaws seized from work shed during suspect's arrest, jury told
10:57 , Alex RossNow the jury is being told about Daniel Graham’s arrest, at his home at Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, on October 31 2023.
His home was searched, junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown says, and inside a jacket pocket hanging in a caravan was a mobile phone which was seized.
Two chainsaws were also seized from a work shed.
'No doubt' over picture wood and chainsaw in boot of vehicle, jury told
10:55 , Alex RossAs part of the agreed facts read out by junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown, the jury is told about pictures and video on Daniel Graham’s mobile phone showing a piece of wood and a large chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle.
The pictures was taken on 28 September at 2am, the night the tree was felled.
They have been compared with images taken by a scenes of crime officer of Graham’s Range Rover.
Ms Brown said forensic video analyst Emiliano Polito conducted a vehicle comparison and found that “there is no doubt that vehicle X (the vehicle in the images and videos) and the recovered vehicle (Graham’s Range Rover) are the same vehicle”.
Trial back underway
10:38 , Alex RossFollowing yesterday’s adjournment, the trial has resumed with the prosecution going through more agreed facts with the jury.
These are events and evidence that all legal parties agree on as fact.
'Jeffrey, it's gone viral', suspect tells co-accused, jury told
10:30 , Alex RossJurors were played voice notes said to have been shared between the two suspects as news for the tree coming down made national headlines.
The jury heard that Graham sent a voice note to Carruthers using his nickname, saying: “Jeffrey, it’s gone viral, it’s gone worldwide, it will be on ITV News tonight.”
Later, Graham sent another message saying: “Jeffrey, it’s on f****** Sky News as we speak.”
Earlier in the trial, prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the jury the pair were “revelling in” what they had done.
Friends shared messages on tree's destruction, jury told
10:27 , Alex RossYesterday, the jury heard from police analyst Amy Sutherland, who took members through messages between Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers on the morning of September 28 2023 about news coverage of the tree felling.
In one message Graham said to Carruthers: “Not a bad angle on that stump”, adding: “That’s clearly a professional.”
One screenshot sent by Carruthers to Graham showed Facebook comments with a circle around one that said: “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.”
The jury heard there was another comment underneath a man called Kevin Hartness saying: “Some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour.”
Jurors were played a voice note from Graham to Carruthers saying: “That Kevin Hartness comment. Weak… f****** weak? Does he realise how heavy shit is?”
Carruthers replied with his own voice note saying: “I’d like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night… I don’t think he’s got the minerals.”
Why is the Sycamore Gap tree so famous
10:22 , Alex RossSituated in a sloping gap of the Hadrian’s Wall, near the village of Once Brewed, the Sycamore Gap tree became one of the most famous places in England over the past few decades.
The tree, planted 150 years ago, has always been an icon for people in the region, with many having used the site to mark birthdays, do marriage proposals and scatter ashes.
But it was in 1991 when the Sycamore Gap achieved worldwide fame, appearing in the Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves which starred Kevin Costner. As tourists from as far away as the US flocked to see the tree, locals started calling it the “Kevin Costner tree”.
The tree’s fame was further helped thanks to the advent of social media, with photographs of the solitary tree beamed around the world on people’s phones and computers.
Recap: Video footage of 'tree chopped down' shown to jury
10:21 , Alex RossAs part of yesterday’s evidence, two versions of a video, prosecutors say was taken on Daniel Graham’s iPhone, was played to the jury.
The footage allegedly shows the falling of the Sycamore Gap tree.
Lasting 2min 41sec, it appears to show the outline of a figure working at the trunk of the tree, before it crashes to the ground.
Police analyst Amy Sutherland told the court that the coordinates for where the video was filmed were for Sycamore Gap.
You can read more on the video here:
Watch: Sycamore Gap video footage of ‘tree being chopped down’
What's happening today
10:18 , Alex RossToday is the third day of the trial at Newcastle Crown Court.
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are both charged with two counts of criminal damage to the tree and Hadrian’s Wall, overnight on September 28 2023.
After Tuesday’s opening, yesterday we heard evidence from a police analyst as well as statements from the first officer at the scene and an expert from Historic England.
The case will open again shortly, at 10.30am, with more evidence put forward by the Crown Prosecution Service.
