Two Men Cut Down A Famous Tree Near Hadrian’s Wall In England And Are Facing Up To A Decade In Prison
For centuries, the Sycamore Gap tree stood near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England—that is, until two men decided to chop it down.
On May 9, Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham were found guilty of two counts each of criminal damage. It took five hours over the course of two days for the verdict to be made.
Both men will face up to 10 years in prison. The case is now closed, but it is still unclear why they felled one of the most beloved trees in England. They maintained their innocence during the entirety of their trial.
Prosecutors described the crime as “mindless thuggery” and said that the two men cut down the tree for their own entertainment.
“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,” said prosecutor Richard Wright. “Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone do such a thing? Take something beautiful and destroy it for no good reason.”
A farmer reported that the Sycamore Gap tree had been chopped down on the morning of September 28, 2023.
When the police arrived, they found the tree’s crown lying on one side of Hadrian’s Wall, while its stump was on the other side. They believed a chainsaw had been used, based on the cut marks.
The lone tree had been growing right next to the wall, which was built by the Roman army beginning in 122 C.E. Later, archaeologists confirmed that part of the historic wall was damaged when the tree fell.
The Sycamore Gap tree was located in Northumberland National Park. It was an incredibly popular landmark, well-known throughout England and beyond. According to the National Trust, it was planted by previous landowner John Clayton in the late 1800s.
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Walkers and photographers liked to frequent the area, but the tree really became famous after it was featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. In 2016, it was named the “English tree of the year” by the conservation charity Woodland Trust.
At first, police arrested a 16-year-old boy, followed by a man in his 60s, for the crime. They later arrested two men in their 30s, Carruthers and Graham. They were charged in connection with the crime.
Location data placed Carruthers’ cell phone near the tree on the afternoon of September 27. Records show that he called Graham later that night, and the two had a brief conversation. About an hour after the phone call, a traffic camera caught Graham’s vehicle on a road that led to the tree.
Police also found a dark video of a tree being cut down with a chainsaw on Graham’s phone. It was also sent to Carruthers’ phone. The following day, the two men exchanged text and voice messages about the events of the past night.
Graham claimed that Carruthers took his phone and car without permission while he was sleeping and that he was not involved in the crime. Carruthers said that he did not know who cut down the tree.
Some of the Sycamore Gap tree’s seeds have sprouted into saplings, providing beacons of hope that its legacy will live on. The largest section of the tree will be displayed in public.
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