Two men who cut down the famous Sycamore Gap tree have each been jailed for four years and three months. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were convicted of criminal damage to the tree, which had stood for more than 100 years in Northumberland, and to Hadrian's Wall, damaged when the tree fell in September 2023.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair travelled from their homes in Cumbria, carrying equipment across moorland during a storm. They took a wedge from the tree as a trophy, which has never been recovered, and revelled in media coverage of the vandalism.
Mrs Justice Lambert said their motivation included “sheer bravado” and that they “revelled in the coverage, taking pride in what you have done”. She stated Carruthers cut the tree while Graham drove and filmed. Carruthers claimed he had drunk a bottle of whisky and had no memory, but the judge said his actions were deliberate and skilled.
Andrew Poad, a National Trust manager, said in a victim impact statement: “This iconic tree can never be replaced… it belonged to the people. It was totemic.” An email address set up after the felling received 600 responses in a month.
