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Two men accused of cutting down the famous Sycamore Gap tree kept a wedge of the trunk as a trophy to remind themselves of their “moronic mission”, a jury was told.
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are both charged with two counts of criminal damage relating to the tree and a section of Hadrian’s Wall it fell on on the night of 27 September, 2023.
Opening the case to jurors at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, prosecutor Richard Wright KC said the friends had driven from Carlisle to the beauty spot in Northumberland, where under darkness they cut down the iconic tree.
A wedge was taken from the tree before one of the pair used a chainsaw to slice into the trunk, while the other recorded the act on a mobile phone, Mr Wright said.
Later, photographs taken on Graham’s phone showed a piece of wood in the boot of his Range Rover, said Mr Wright, who added there was “very strong evidence” it was the wedge taken from the tree.
He added: "This was perhaps a trophy taken from the scene to remind them of their actions, actions that they appear to have been revelling in."
The wedge has never been found, the jury was told.
Daniel Michael Graham, 39, from Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 32, from Wigton in Cumbria, who deny all the charges against them, will appear for a second day of evidence at the court on Wednesday.
Timeline: How the felling of Sycamore Gap allegedly unfolded
At yesterday’s opening of the case, prosecutor Richard Wright KC laid out the Crown Prosecution Service’s evidence against Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers to the jury.
He pieced together a timeline of the alleged events that led to the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, and what, he said, happened after it.
Alex Ross30 April 2025 09:31
Tree was cut down in an act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage, jury told
At Newcastle Crown Court, following the selection of a jury, the case was opened against Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers yesterday.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said: “For over a century, and until the evening of Wednesday 27 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 28 th 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.”
Alex Ross30 April 2025 09:27
Friends accused of filming themselves chopping down Sycamore Gap
Yesterday, we heard the case against Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, with the pair accused of filming themselves chopping down the famous Sycamore Gap tree before “revelling in” their infamy when news broke of the irreparable damage.
The pair are alleged to have driven from Carlisle to the Sycamore Gap to chop down the tree with a chainsaw. Prosecutors say one man cut across the trunk, causing it to fall, while the other recorded the act on a mobile phone.
They then sent messages to each other the next day about the story going “wild” and “viral”, with prosecutors saying they were “excited” about what they had done.
You can read our story on yesterday’s opening here:
Alex Ross30 April 2025 09:23
What is happening today
After yesterday’s opening of the case by prosecutor Richard Wright KC, today we expect to hear more on the evidence against Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, who are both accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.
The opening yesterday started shortly after 10am, and lasted to 1.20pm before it was adjourned until 10.30am on Wednesday.
Alex Ross30 April 2025 09:20
English (US) ·