2 pals on moronic mission filmed themselves felling famous sycamore gap, court heard

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, used a chainsaw to take down the landmark in an act of "mindless vandalism", it is claimed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the tree, which had grown for over 100 years, fell onto Hadrian's Wall, which it stood beside and caused damage to the Roman structure.

After causing the criminal damage, the pair, who had travelled in Graham's Range Rover, took pictures of a wedge of tree they had kept as a "trophy", next to a chainsaw in the back of the vehicle, jurors heard.

Groundworks boss Graham, of Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Church Street, Wigton, who worked in property maintenance and mechanics, each deny two charges of damaging property in relation to the tree and wall and are being tied by a jury.

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the court the tree was felled on September 2023.

Mr Wright told jurors: "For over a century, and until the evening of Wednesday 27th September 2023, a Sycamore tree had stood in the Northumberland National Park.

“The tree stood in a dip, next to Hadrian's Wall, itself a UNESCO world heritage site.

"Over many years the tree, and its situation, became a famous site, reproduced countless times in photographs, feature films, and art.

"This tree, that was held high in the affections of so many members of the public, had come to be known as the 'Sycamore Gap'

"By sunrise on Thursday 28th September, the tree had been deliberately felled with a chainsaw in an act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage.

"It fell onto a section of Hadrian's Wall, causing irreparable damage to the tree itself, and further damage to the wall."

“The prosecution say that two men are responsible for that mindless vandalism, the defendants Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers.

"In the late hours of Wednesday 27th September 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 then 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 filmed the act on Graham's mobile telephone.

"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, 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.

"The only people who had access to the video were the men who had filmed it and filmed themselves in the act of cutting down the tree; the defendants Graham and Carruthers.

"And not content with the video of their activity, at 2 in the morning that same night, photographs and two short videos were taken, again on Graham's mobile telephone which showed a piece 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' that the piece of wood in the video and images and the wood in the boot 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.

"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 one other, Graham saying to Carruthers 'here we go'. The discussions between the pair are the clearest indication that they were the men who had cut down the tree."

“One member of the public, Kevin Hartness, posted to a Facebook page about the tree, a message that summed up the sentiments of many right thinking members of the public waking up to the news that morning.

“He said 'some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour'.

"Carruthers sent this post on to Graham. Two minutes later Graham replied to Carruthers with a voice note 'That Kevin Hartness comment. Weak, weak? Does he realise how heavy this is?' Carruthers replies with his own voice note: 'I’d like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night… I don’t think he’s got the minerals'.

"'An operation like we did last night'. The clearest confirmation that Carruthers and Graham were both responsible for the deliberate felling of the tree and the subsequent damage to Hadrian's Wall."

Both men deny all charges. The trial continues.