Pair found guilty of cutting down Northumberland's Sycamore Gap tree
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers have been found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court
Last updated 9th May 2025
Two men have been found guilty of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland.
Adam Carruthers, 32, and Daniel Graham, 39 - both from Cumbria - have been on trial at Newcastle Crown Court, charged with criminal damage, and accused of illegally felling the almost 200 year old tree in September 2023.
The prosecution said Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers realised they "weren't the big men they thought they were" when they saw the public outrage over the felling of the much-loved Northumberland landmark.
It was 'just a tree'
Making his closing speech to jurors on Wednesday, prosecutor Richard Wright KC said: "From Felixstowe to Falkirk, from Bishop Auckland to Barnstable, up and down the country and across the world, the reaction of all right thinking people to the senseless felling of the Sycamore Gap tree has been one of sadness and anger.
"Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone do such a thing? Take something beautiful and destroy it for no good reason.
"Go to the trouble of causing irreparable and senseless damage to an adornment to the rural landscape of Northumberland, and in the process damage the ancient structure of Hadrian's wall. Then take away a souvenir of your moronic mission.
"The public indignation, anger and downright disgust has been palpable hasn't it?
"But, so it appears, that it came as something of a shock to Adam Carruthers."
Mr Wright reminded jurors that Carruthers had said during his evidence that it was "just a tree" and the reaction was "as if somebody had been murdered".
"And perhaps that sentiment, that lack of appreciation, actually explains a great deal about these two defendants and about why... neither of them is willing to own up to what they have done," Mr Wright said.
Mr Wright said the two men were "in it together from first to last".
"The odd couple. Two men who did everything together and who, you can be sure, were together this night as well," he told jurors.
"A team who were in it together from first to last. One to operate the saw and the other to film it. But both equally responsible."
Only two people had the video of the felling
Mr Wright told the court that a video said to be of the moment the tree was cut down, which was found on Graham's phone and had been sent to Carruthers, would have been "gold dust" if it had been released.
He said: "And there are only two people in the world who ever had that video on their telephones. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers."
Mrs Justice Lambert told jurors that both defendants deny they were involved.
Carruthers, she said, claimed he was staying at home in his caravan with his partner and their newborn baby.
Graham claimed he was at his home that night and while he accepted that his Range Rover was driven to the car park nearest to Sycamore Gap and his phone was used to film the tree being felled, he said his co-accused took both.
In his closing speech, Chris Knox, for Graham, said the defendants had fallen out "spectacularly".
He said Graham was accused of being "stroppy" when answering the prosecution's questions.
"Does that make him the Sycamore Gap tree murderer?" Mr Knox asked the jury.
"Or does it mean exactly what he said in his interviews with the police - he has been dropped in this?"
Andrew Gurney, defending Carruthers, said Graham had "named Adam Carruthers because he needs a scapegoat".
He said Carruthers was in the dock "not because he was found at the scene...but because of Daniel Graham's mobile phone and the words of one man - Daniel Graham, who having found himself in the dock, has reached desperately for a lifeline and tried to throw Adam Carruthers under the bus to save his own skin".
Mr Gurney said: "Adam Carruthers was not creeping about a national park in the dead of night. He was at home with his partner."
He added that "it makes no sense that, during this period of his life, he would be doing that," reminding jurors that Carruthers's newborn daughter had returned home from hospital just five days earlier.
The pair will be sentenced on 15th July at Newcastle Crown Court.
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Sycamore Gap Tree in pictures
The sycamore tree before it was felled
The scene after the tree had been cut down
One of the most famous trees in the world
The Sycamore Gap tree – which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - was planted in the late 19th century and stood in a natural gap next to Hadrian’s Wall, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
Considered one of Britain’s most popular natural landmarks, news of the tree’s felling caused outrage and heartbreak, not only to the local community but across the nation.
In the late hours between the 27 September and 28 September, Graham and Carruthers drove from the Carlisle area towards the Sycamore Gap, felling the tree with a chainsaw before taking a section of it back to Carlisle.
CPS describe the felling as a 'mindless act of destruction'
Gale Gilchrist, Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS North East, said:
“For over a century, Sycamore Gap has been an iconic natural landmark in the North East of England, bringing immeasurable joy to those visiting the area.
“In just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction.
“As news of their crime spread the following day, the pair exchanged messages, revelling in the public outcry they had caused.
“Thanks to an outstanding investigation on the part of our police partners, the Crown Prosecution Service was able to build a robust case against both men and bring them to trial.
“The international reaction of disapproval and anger following the destruction at Sycamore Gap illustrates how keenly the public has felt the loss of this beloved site, and we hope our community can take some measure of comfort in seeing those responsible convicted today.”
The pair will be sentenced on 15th July at Newcastle Crown Court.
Police describe Sycamore Gap tree as an iconic landmark
Northumberland Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police, said: “The Sycamore Gap tree was an iconic landmark – recognisable across the world – and which held a special place in the hearts of many.
“In September 2023, we woke to the devastating news that the tree had been cut down.
“Since then, we have been carrying out a meticulous investigation to identify those responsible.
“Due to the unwavering commitment of those involved in the case, today we have seen two men be found guilty of damaging not only the tree but also Hadrian’s Wall.
“We often hear references made to mindless acts of vandalism – but that term has never been more relevant than today in describing the actions of those individuals.
“At no point have the two men given an explanation for why they targeted the tree – and there never could be a justifiable one.”