Sycamore Gap accused 'filmed felling as trophy'

VIDEO of the moment the Sycamore Gap tree plummeted to the ground has been played to a jury.

- By Paul Jeeves Crime Editor

Yesterday pals Daniel Graham and Graham Carruthers stared straight ahead as the grainy footage was shown at Newcastle Crown Court.

It showed a dark figure, silhouetted against the stormy sky, before the tree eventually creaks and crashes down.

It is alleged Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, took the video as one of a number of "trophies" for the felling, which occurred shortly after midnight on September 28, 2023.

The culprit is caught determinedly sawing a wedge out of the trunk so it would fall in a northerly direction across Hadrian's Wall, causing £1,144 damage.

The chainsaw's roar could be heard over the wind. It idles as a wedge is removed from the trunk before starting up to make the final cut.