Watch the moment the world famous Sycamore Gap tree was felled
This is the shocking moment the iconic sycamore tree was felled with a chainsaw in just over two minutes.
Prosecutors claim Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, recorded the vandalism during the "moronic mission" in the early hours of September 28.
The court heard a mobile phone found in a jacket belonging to Graham contained a video of the sycamore being felled.
Mr Wright said: "The prosecution suggest that the video was taken by someone holding the phone in their hand, it moves around and zooms in and out as the recording continues and there's another person felling the tree."
Grainy footage, which appears black and white, shows a figure swiftly chain-sawing down the much-loved tree in the darkness.
The sound of the machine can be heard running before the unmistakable noise of the sycamore falling to the ground.
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.
Intelligence Analyst Amy Sutherland told jurors she examined phones seized during the police investigation into the damage.
She told jurors an iPhone 13 was found in a jacket at Daniel Graham's home when he was arrested on October 31 2023.
She said the video lasted for two minutes and 40 seconds and the metadata from it showed it was taken at the site of Sycamore Gap.
Jurors have heard the video was later enhanced and brightened to enable more clear images to be shown.
Both the dark version and the enhanced footage have been played to jurors.
Images of a piece of wood and a chainsaw, said to be "trophies" from the tree attack were also found on the handset.
Senior Archaeologist Tony Wilmott from Historic England said the Sycamore Gap site had become a place that was loved by "many thousands of people" and was a backdrop for marriage proposals, family visits and even a place to lay late loved ones' ashes and mementos.
He added that in 1992 it was used in the 1992 film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman.
Mr Willmott said the tree was found resting on the wall on the early morning of September 28 2023 after it was felled under the cover of darkness and Storm Agnes.
Lee McFarlane, inspector of historic monuments for Historic England, said Sycamore gap was internationally important and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Mr McFarlane said some of the stones of Hadrian's Wall were fractured by the impact of the tree but major damage was avoided as the sycamore was in leaf, which acted as a form of shield.
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 had stood for over a century, during which it became a famous site, reproduced countless times in photographs, films and art.
Both men deny all charges.
The trial continues.
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