LONDON — Two men have been convicted of criminal damage after one of the UK’s most cherished natural landmarks, the Sycamore Gap tree, was illegally felled in northern England last year.
A jury at Newcastle Crown Court found Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers guilty on two counts each of criminal damage for cutting down the famed tree and causing further harm by toppling it onto Hadrian’s Wall, a nearly 2,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site.
Jury Reaches Swift Verdict After Damning Evidence
Jurors deliberated for roughly four hours on Thursday and returned a verdict in less than 30 minutes on Friday morning, sealing the fate of the two defendants, who were once close friends.
Both men took the stand and denied responsibility. Graham blamed Carruthers, while Carruthers distanced himself from the act altogether. But prosecutors had what they called irrefutable evidence.
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Video, Messages, and GPS Trail Seal Their Fate
The prosecution played video from Graham’s phone showing the tree being cut down. GPS data also revealed his Range Rover had traveled in the direction of the site the night the incident occurred in September 2023.
To make matters worse, text and voice messages from the following day were presented in court, showing both men boasting about what they had done as news of the tree’s destruction made global headlines.
Financial Cost of a Cultural Loss
The felled tree wasn’t just a symbol of the British landscape — it had tangible value too. Prosecutors stated the tree was valued at over £620,000 (around $830,000). The damage to Hadrian’s Wall was pegged at £1,100 (nearly $1,500).
The Sycamore Gap tree, made world-famous after appearing in films and countless photographs, stood alone in a dramatic dip along Hadrian’s Wall and was a symbol of northern England’s natural beauty.
