'Moronic' pair jailed for chopping down Sycamore Gap tree

TWO former friends who chopped down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in an act of “sheer bravado” have each been jailed for more than four years.

- ROB KENNEDY

Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham set off on their “moronic mission” from Cumbria to Northumberland in the dead of night during a storm to carry out the wanton destruction, which sparked anger, upset and condemnation from around the world.

The pair, convicted by a jury of damaging the tree and Hadrian's Wall, onto which it fell, have finally admitted they were part of the dreadful deed, with Carruthers wielding the chainsaw which left the totemic tree lying broken on the ground while Graham filmed the destruction on his phone.

Both men then revelled in their notoriety as news broke of what they had done in September 2023.

While they now accept being part of it, a judge rejected assertions by Carruthers that it was drunken stupidity and claims by Graham that he had just gone along with Carruthers’ plan.

Jailing them for four years and three months, Mrs Justice Lambert said while their motivation was not clear, “sheer bravado” was a factor in what they had done and said the reaction afterwards “gave you some kind of thrill”.

The judge referred to “heartfelt messages” from members of the public about the tree and her own impression from media accounts of “widespread shock and bewilderment”.

She added: "For those who live in Northumberland or who love this county, the tree had become a landmark, a symbol of the beauty of the untamed landscape, featuring prominently in local art and local tourism.

"For others, the tree had become a place of special, personal significance, where marriages were proposed and personal tributes to loved ones were left.

"It was a place of peace and tranquility, to which people returned year after year and the public reaction has extended far beyond those who had visited the tree.”