Two friends accused of using a chainsaw to bring down the Sycamore Gap tree appear to be blaming each other for the act of “mindless criminal damage”, a jury has heard.
Daniel Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court, both charged with felling the iconic tree.
They are also charged with causing damage to Hadrian’s Wall, with the falling sycamore hitting a section of the wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, during the night of September 27, 2023.
Both men deny the charges.
Opening the case, prosecutor Richard Wright KC told jurors the friends arrived by Range Rover from the Carlisle area to perform the “moronic mission”, which he said took just 2 minutes and 41 seconds.
After marking the tree with silver spray paint and cutting out a wedge, one of the pair used a chainsaw to cut it down while the other filmed it, Mr Wright said.
The jury was shown a grainy video - Mr Wright said was taken on Graham’s phone - which showed the outline of a figure silhouetted against a stormy sky standing at the tree, which eventually creaked and fell.
Speaking about the defendants, Mr Wright said both had denied any involvement, and now appeared to be blaming each other. “Their once close friendship appears to have unravelled, perhaps as the public revulsion at their behaviour became clear to them,” he said.
Key points
- Defendants now apparently blaming each other, jury told
- Grainy video shown to the jury of 'tree being felled'
- Wedge of the Sycamore Gap tree taken for 'perhaps a trophy', jury told
- One of the defendants used a chainsaw to cut the tree, the other filmed it, jury told
- Pair travelled from Carlisle by Range Rover for 'moronic mission', jury told
Recap: What happened today
16:28 , Alex RossOn Tuesday morning, at Newcastle Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service opened its case against two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers both deny two counts each of criminal damage - one to the tree and one to the ancient Roman-built wall which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The case presented by prosecutor Richard Wright KC was that the two men drove from Carlisle to the Northumberland beauty spot to chop down the tree with a chainsaw.
While one man cut the trunk, another recorded it on a mobile phone, Mr Wright said.
After committing the crime, Mr Wright told the jury that while the pair drove back to Carlisle, Carruthers appeared to boast over the video to his partner.
Graham lived in Carlisle and had a groundwork company called D M Graham Groundworks while Carruthers told police during an interview he worked in property maintenance and mechanics.
The pair, Mr Wright said, appeared to get excited by the news coverage of the tree felling the next day.
But Mr Wright said their “once close friendship appears to have unravelled”, with each of them now apparently blaming the other.
Defendants showed little emotion during court hearing
15:17 , Alex RossDaniel Graham and Adam Carruthers appeared in the dock at Newcastle Crown Court accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.
During the opening by the Crown Prosecution Service, the jury was told that the pair had travelled in a Range Rover to the site on 27 September, 2023.
While one cut down the tree with a chainsaw, the other filmed it on Graham’s phone, prosecutor Richard Wright KC said.
During the opening, which lasted nearly four hours, the friends showed no reaction as the evidence was read out.
Police unable to trace the wedge taken from Sycamore Gap in felling, jury told
14:37 , Alex RossThe jury was told about the extent of the police investigation in the Sycamore Gap felling, and how the chainsaw, the wedge from the tree and “Carruthers’s other phone” have not been found.
“This was not due to a lack of activity on the police’s part,” Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said.
The trial has been adjourned for the day
14:20 , Alex RossThe case will reopen with evidence provided by the prosecution tomorrow morning at 10.30am
Both men 'lying in an effort to escape responsibility', jury told
14:00 , Alex RossSome more now on the prosecution’s evidence on what both Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham have said during questioning from police.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC says he understands Graham denies being involved in anyway, and that his car and phone were used without his knowledge to make the journey and record the felling.
Carruthers, Mr Wright says, also denies anything to do with the felling.
He says: “Their once close friendship appears to have unravelled, perhaps as the public revulsion at their behaviour became clear to them.”
He continues: "He [Graham] will say that Carruthers and perhaps another man are to blame and claim that Carruthers has admitted as much to him.
“In contrast, Carruthers denies that he had anything at all to do with the felling of the tree and will maintain that he was not present when it was cut down.
"We will invite you to conclude from the evidence that both of them are lying in an effort to escape responsibility and that each of them is guilty."
Defendant alluded to person responsible as 'having young kids', jury told
13:45 , Alex RossProsecutor Richard Wright KC tells the jury both defendants were questioned again on November 3 2023.
He says Daniel Graham told officers he was not using the vehicle on the night in question, and when asked if anyone else was, he said “no”.
Graham answered “no comment” when he was asked by police if he had allowed someone else to borrow the vehicle.
When asked about the saws of his associates – and asked whether he took the video – Graham answered “no comment”, Mr Wright tells the jury.
Graham continued to deny responsibility for the offence but alluded to the person responsible “having young kids”, and said he would not give any names.
Adam Carruthers answered ‘no comment’ to all questions asked, Mr Wright says.
Defendant said 'I don't think so' when asked if he left Cumbria on night tree was cut down, jury told
13:32 , Alex RossRichard Wright KC says Adam Carruthers told police he did not live with his partner and two children.
Mr Wright says: “He said that his partner had just had their second child, so he was at the caravan at lot to help her.
“When asked whether he left Cumbria on the night the tree was cut down he said ‘I don’t think so’.
“He said that he had used a chainsaw before, but this was months previously.
“He said that he had not felled a tree before, although he would ‘have a go’ if he was asked.”
Jury told what each of the defendants is now understood to be claiming
13:19Prosecutor Richard Wright KC tells the jury that Daniel Graham is denying being involved in the incident in any way.
Mr Wright says: “His car and his phone must have been used without his knowledge to make the journey and record the felling.
“He will say that Carruthers and another man are to blame and claim that Carruthers has admitted that to him.”
Meanwhile, Adam Carruthers also denies having anything to do with the felling of the tree, Mr Wright says.
“[He] will maintain that he was not present when it was cut down,” Mr Wright says.
“We will invite you to conclude from the evidence that both of them are lying in an effort to escape responsibility for what they have done.”
Defendants now apparently blaming each other, jury told
13:16 , Alex RossDaniel Graham and Adam Carruthers had a close friendship, but since the felling of the tree, that appears to have unravelled, says prosecutor Richard Wright KC.
Mr Wright says the pair are now apparently blaming each other.
He tells the jury: “It now seems that these two men are themselves lacking the courage to admit what they’ve done because each of them seemingly denies that he was involved in the felling of the tree.
“More than that, each of them now seems to be trying to blame the other.
“That once close friendship has seemingly completely unravelled, perhaps as the public revulsion at their behaviour became clear to them.”
Prosecution can't say which person cut the tree - but they were 'in it together', jury told
13:14 , Alex RossRichard Wright KC says Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers committed the offences on Hadrian’s Wall jointly and were “in it together”, one wielding the chainsaw and one recording the felling.
He tells jurors: “We can’t say which person cut the tree and which person was holding the phone and making the recording, but we do not need to do so.
“Any person who intentionally assisted, encouraged or caused the damage to happen is as guilty as the person who’s holding the chainsaw.”
Defendant said Range Rover was his - but available for anyone to use, court told
13:12As prosecutor Richard Wright KC has already told the jury, Daniel Graham’s Range Rover was said to have been driven to the site of the Sycamore Gap felling on September 27 in 2023.
In interview, Mr Wright says Graham claimed he was not trained to fell large trees but could explain how he would used a ‘wedge technique’ to do it.
“He accepted that the Range Rover LR09 YFC was his, but he said that it was available for anyone who wanted to use it,” Mr Wright tells the jury.
On Graham’s mobile phone, which the prosecution say was used to film the felling, the defendant said he would let someone use his phone while at work, Mr Wright says.
“Graham claimed that his name had been linked to this way of a malicious complaint,” Mr Wright says.
No remorse showed by the friends after tree felling, jury told
13:06 , Alex RossOn the pair’s conversations after the tree was felled, prosecutor Richard Wright KC says they show excitement, and no remorse.
He says “message after message” about the Sycamore Gap story were shared between them or screenshotted and saved by Daniel Graham, showing they were “gathering news of their infamy”.
He says: "The prosecution suggest that this is more than a mere discussion between interested people about a news story.
You may think, members of the jury, that perhaps there is an excitement there, an incredulity, a fascination. But certainly sadness or remorse."
Pair were 'revelling in' what they had done, jury told
12:52 , Alex RossThe day after the Sycamore Gap tree came down the story became headline news around the world.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC says Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers sent each other messages “revelling in” what they had done, talking about the felling going “wild” and “viral,” and commenting that the damage had clearly been done by “a professional”.
He tells jurors: “They are loving it, they’re revelling in it. This is the reaction of the people that did it. They still think it’s funny, or clever, or big.”
In one message Graham said to Carruthers: “Not a bad angle on that stump,” adding: “That’s clearly a professional.”
Jurors were played a voice note from Carruthers to Graham saying: “Someone there has tagged like ITV News, BBC News, Sky News, like news, news, news. I think it’s gonna go wild.”
Another voice note from Graham to Carruthers at 11.17am said: “Jeffrey (a name Carruthers uses) it’s gone viral. It is worldwide. It will be on ITV news tonight.”
Just after 7pm that evening Graham sent another voice note to Carruthers saying: “Jeffrey it’s on f****** Sky News as we speak.”
Video of 'Sycamore Gap tree felled' sent from defendant's phone, jury told
12:46 , Alex RossWe heard earlier how prosecutor Richard Wright KC said Adam Carruthers messaged his partner, Amy Connor, after the tree was felled.
Now we’re hearing more on that alleged conversation on Facebook messenger.
Mr Wright says Carruthers started the chat with his partner Amy Connor, who sent him a video of a child being bottle fed.
Carruthers replied: “I’ve got a better video than that, and Ms Connor said “I bet.”
Carruthers replied: “You know the score.”
Eight minutes later, Graham’s phone sent the video of the tree being felled to Carruthers’ phone, Mr Wright says.
Two defendants 'were in it together', jury told
12:31 , Alex RossAfter presenting the video to the jury, prosecutor Richard Wright KC concludes: “In simple terms, Graham’s phone was right there at Sycamore Gap as the tree was being cut down, and his phone filmed the tree being cut down.
“The prosecution say whoever filmed the cutting down was as much responsible for the damage to the wall and the tree as the man wielding the chainsaw.
“They were in it together, and they were Carruthers and Graham.”
Two minutes and 41 seconds it took to fell the tree, jury told
12:29Continuing to show the video from Daniel Graham’s phone, Richard Wright KC says the chainsaw quiets halfway through.
He says someone then removes a wedge from the tree before the machine starts up again and the sycamore falls.
“Two minutes and 41 seconds to cause that damage,” he says.
The video was filmed at 12.32am on 28 September, and the metadata showed co-ordinates that were for the Sycamore Gap, Mr Wright says.
Grainy video shown to the jury of 'tree being felled'
12:20The jury are now shown a video that the Crown Prosecution Service says shows the felling of the tree by Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers.
Prosecuting Richard Wright KC says the footage was recovered from Graham’s iPhone. Earlier, he told the jury that the incident was filmed on the phone.
“The video, when first played, is extremely dark,” he says. “But you will hear the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw, and you will hear a tree falling.”
The video, which lasts 2 minutes 41 seconds , shows the outline of a figure silhouetted against the stormy sky standing at the tree, which eventually creaks and falls.
Mr Wright says: "It will be a matter for you, members of the jury, what you think this video shows. The prosecution suggest that the video was taken by someone holding the phone in their hand- it moves around, and zooms in and out. "
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC is now giving more details on the tracking of Daniel Graham’s mobile phone, which he says shows the defendants were travelling to Sycamore Gap.
He tells the jury that Graham’s phone was deliberately disconnected from the phone network at 11.43pm while it was using a cell located 17km (10.5 miles) from Sycamore Gap.
“It did not connect back to the network until just under two hours later, at 1.28am in the early hours of the next morning,” he told Newcastle Crown Court.
Jury shown footage of car near Sycamore Gap tree
11:53At 11.55pm the lights of Graham's Range Rover were picked up on CCTV at the Twice Brewed Inn, said prosecutor Richard Wright KC.
The road leads to the remote Steel Rigg car park, which is a 20 minute walk from the tree.
Jurors in court watched the video footage of a car's lights sweeping up the road.
Jury shown maps of defendants' addresses
11:28 , Alex RossBoth Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers live in the region, with the jury shown maps of where their addresses are, and where the Sycamore Gap tree was located.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC says the pair travelled from the Carlisle area using the quickest route, along the A689 - a journey that would have taken 39 minutes, he says.
He also says data from the friends’ phone network providers shows Graham and Carruthers were in contact with each other by phone until 10.23pm on 27 September.
He tells the jury: “The reason there is no more contact that night is because, the prosecution say, they were together, and are about to travel together to Sycamore Gap from Carlisle.”
Defendants had experience in cutting down trees, jury told
11:23 , Alex RossProsecutor Richard Wright KC has already told the jury that Daniel Graham had a groundwork company, while Adam Carruthers worked in property maintenance and mechanics.
He now tells the jury that the pair had knowledge of how to fell a tree, and had access to the required equipment.
He says the defendants would work together sometimes and had experience of cutting down large trees together, with one video recovered from Graham’s phone showing them felling a large tree just over a month before the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down.
A chainsaw blade and cover was found at Graham’s property by police a month after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree. A chainsaw was also discovered at Carruthers’ property.
Mr Wright KC says: “The simple point is that these are men with knowledge of how to fell a tree of this size; had access to a wide variety of equipment- and the relevant equipment; worked together to carry out tree felling and had a close friendship at the time.”
The falling tree damaged Hadrian's Wall, jury told
11:08 , Alex RossAs included in the charge sheet, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are also accused of causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall.
Richard Wright KC says this is because the falling tree damaged the wall.
He tells the jury: “Fortunately, the tree canopy was supporting most of the weight of the tree.
“However, some of the stones of the wall were fractured and spalled.
“You will be unsurprised to hear that the National Trust confirmed that no one had any permission to cause any damage to the Sycamore tree, or to Hadrian’s Wall.
“It is not in dispute that damage was caused to the tree, or the wall.
“It is not said that anyone did have any permission to cause damage. The issue then – who was responsible?”
Hiker took last image of Sycamore Gap tree before it was felled, jury told
11:05Richard Wright KC says Alice Whysall Price, who was on a walking holiday, arrived at Sycamore Gap around 5.20pm on Wednesday September 27 2023 in wind and rain as a storm approached.
She took a photo of the tree then, proving it was still standing then “as it had been for over 100 years”, the court is told.
Mr Wright says: “At 9.46 the next morning, Thursday 28th September, it was reported to police that the tree had been damaged.
“Pc Borini was the first police officer at the scene that morning.
“By the time he arrived there were already a number of people there.
“Pc Borini noticed that there was silver spray paint on the tree, and that a wedge had been cut out of it to aid the felling.
“He looked for the wedge but couldn’t find it. He set up a cordon and the police investigation began.”
Defendants were friends, jury told
11:01 , Alex RossThe jury hears how at the time the Sycamore Gap tree was felled, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were “friends who were regularly in each other’s company”.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC says Graham lived in Carlisle and had a groundwork company called D M Graham Groundworks.
Carruthers lived at a location on the Kirkbride Airfield in Cumbria and told police during an interview he worked in property maintenance and mechanics.
Pair joked about reaction to the tree coming down the following day, jury told
10:59 , Alex RossMore than on the discussions between Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers a day after the Sycamore Gap tree was felled.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC says Carruthers sent Graham a Facebook post from a man called Kevin Hartness saying: “Some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour.”
Two minutes later Graham replied to Carruthers with a voice note 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.”
Mr Wright says this was “the clearest confirmation, in their own voices, that Carruthers and Graham were both responsible for the deliberate felling of the tree and the subsequent damage to Hadrian’s Wall”.
Discussions between the pair are a 'clear indication' they did it, jury told
10:56 , Alex RossRichard Wright KC, prosecuting, now turns to conversations between the defendants after the tree came down.
He says: “When on Thursday morning the felled tree was discovered and global media began reporting the news, Carruthers and Graham shared social media posts about it with each other, Graham saying to Carruthers ‘here we go’.
“The discussions between the pair are a clear indication that they were the men that cut down the tree.”
A wedge of the Sycamore Gap tree was taken for 'perhaps a trophy', jury told
10:45 , Alex RossRichard Wright KC, prosecuting, continues at Newcastle Crown Court: “Not content with the video of their activity, at two in the morning that same night, photographs and two short videos were taken on Graham’s mobile telephone which showed a piece of wood, a wedge of wood, next to a chainsaw, in the boot of Graham’s Range Rover.
“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.”
Pair travelled from Carlisle by Range Rover for 'moronic mission', jury told
10:42 , Alex RossDaniel Graham sent Adam Carruthers a video of them felling the Sycamore Gap tree after they had completed their “moronic mission,” the jury is told.
Richard Wright KC says: “Though the tree had grown for over a hundred years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes.
“Having completed their moronic mission, the pair got back into the Range Rover, and travelled back towards Carlisle.
“During that return journey Mr Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner. He replied to her ‘I’ve got a better video than that’.
“Minutes later the video of the felling of the tree was sent from Graham’s phone to Carruthers’ phone.
“At the time of that text conversation the only people in the world who knew that the tree had been felled were the men who had cut it down.”
One of the defendants used a chainsaw to cut the tree, the other filmed it, jury told
10:41 , Alex RossProsecutor Richard Wright KC tells the jury that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were the two men “responsible for that mindless vandalism” to the Sycamore Gap tree.
He says one of them cut the trunk with a chainsaw while the other filmed it.
He told jurors: “In the late hours of Wednesday September 27 2023 they travelled together, in Graham’s Range Rover, from the Carlisle area where they lived towards Sycamore Gap.
“They parked, walked to the tree, and then used a chainsaw to deliberately fell it.
“The technique that they used showed expertise and a determined, deliberate approach to the felling.
“First, they marked the intended cut with silver spray paint, before cutting out a wedge that would dictate the direction in which the tree would fall.
“One of the men then cut across the trunk, causing the sycamore to fall, hitting the wall.
“Whilst he did that, the other man filmed it, filmed the act on Daniel Graham’s mobile telephone.”
Judge tells jurors 'to put your emotions to one side'
10:36 , Alex RossBefore the Crown Prosecution Service starts its opening of the case, Mrs Justice Lambert tells jurors: "This is a case that may engage your emotions, you may have strong feelings one way or another.
“But you know you have made a solemn promise to put your emotions to one side. I cannot be any more stark about that, you must judge this case dispassionately on the evidence and only on the evidence. That is a very important direction."
Defendants appear in the dock for trial
10:34 , Alex RossThere isn't a single spare seat in the court as the case gets underway.
Press benches and the public gallery are full as trial judge Mrs Justice Lambert addresses the jury before Richard Wright, KC, opens the case for the prosecution.
Adam Carruthers, in a dark suit and tie, and Daniel Graham, wearing a white shirt, listen intently from the dock, sitting three yards apart.
Trial to start from 10am
10:09 , Alex RossWe’re just waiting now for the trial to restart.
The two men charged with felling the Sycamore Gap tree - Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers - will hear the Crown Prosecution Service’s case against them today.
First, the jury, sworn in yesterday, will need to be brought in and seated before the case begins.
Value of damage caused to Sycamore Gap tree
09:44 , Alex RossDaniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are both appearing at Newcastle Crown Court this morning, accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.
As part of the prosecution’s case alleging criminal damage against the pair, a figure for how much the damage to the tree was worth was included in the charge sheet.
The damage to the Sycamore Gap tree was put down as £622,191.
Meanwhile, the damage to Hadrian’s Wall, which was hit by the tree as it came down, was judged to be £1,144.
In pictures: Sycamore Gap tree
09:13The Sycamore Gap tree stood for around 150 years at a gap in Hadrian’s Wall near Haltwhistle.
In the nearby The Sill discovery centre, run by the Northumberland Park Authority, the tree’s images is everywhere; from postcards up for sale to pictures on the wall.
Here are some pictures of the tree:
Where it the Sycamore Gap tree
09:06 , Alex RossLocated in a gap in Hadrian’s Wall, the tree, planted around 150 years ago, is near the village of Once Brewed, near the town of Haltwhistle.
It takes about 30 minutes to walk to from Steel Rigg car park, the most popular place for people to leave their vehicles to visit to the felled tree.
You could see the tree from the B6318, which runs parallel to Hadrian’s Wall and is known as the Military Road.
What happened to the felled Sycamore Gap tree
08:31 , Alex RossAfter the Sycamore Gap tree was felled on the night of September 28, 2023, it was chopped down into sections and removed from the site to a top secret location by owners the National Trust.
It had to be removed, partly, because it was lying on Hadrian’s Wall.
But it was also taken away for work to regrow new versions of it. Sections of the tree were also kept safe for future public exhibitions, with the largest chunk to appear at a permanent display at The Sill discovery centre in Northumberland this summer.
Meanwhile, at the stump of the felled tree, a wooden fence was put up, and just last year shoots were spotted coming through - although it will take more than 100 years for a tree to regrow properly.
Why is the Sycamore Gap tree so famous
08:25 , Alex RossSituated in a sloping gap of the Hadrian’s Wall, near the village of Once Brewed, the Sycamore Gap tree has become 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 cannoned thanks to the advent of social media, with photographs of the solitary tree beamed around the world on people’s phones and computers.
Judge addressed the jury on the case
08:19 , Alex RossBefore jury selection yesterday, and ahead of today’s opening of the case, Mrs Justice Lambert addressed the panel of 25 potential jurors.
She told the panel that if they were sworn in, they would make a solemn oath to try the case on the evidence presented within the four walls of the court.
In front of a packed public gallery and a full press bench, she told them: “It concerns allegations of criminal damage, namely the felling by a chain saw of a sycamore tree situated at Hadrian’s Wall that is commonly known as Sycamore Gap.
“The tree was felled and damage was caused to the Roman wall in the course of it.
“I am sure each and every one of you have heard about the case given the level of media interest which it has engaged.”
A jury of 12 people was selected.
Jury selected for trial
08:14 , Alex RossYesterday, at Newcastle Crown Court, a jury of 12 people was selected for the trial of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, both accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.
They were sworn in after being asked by Rebecca Brown, junior counsel for the prosecution, if they each had any emotional connection to the much-loved site on Hadrian’s Wall.
“Other than general knowledge and you visiting, do you have any particular link, emotional or otherwise, to Sycamore Gap or Hadrian’s Wall?” she said.
Ms Brown also asked if the jury panel had any link to the National Trust or Historic England, not including being a member.
Who is accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree
08:08 , Alex RossAs we’ve reported, two men - Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers - were arrested and later charged with causing criminal damage to the Sycamore Gap tree, which was felled overnight on September 28 2023.
Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are on trial at Newcastle Crown Court this week.
They are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the much-photographed Northumberland tree.
They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the tree when it was felled overnight on September 28 2023.
