Sycamore Gap jury shown phone footage of tree's felling

MOBILE phone footage of the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree being felled has been played at the trial of the two men accused of carrying out the "moronic mission".

- ROB KENNEDY

Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are standing trial accused of damaging the tree and Hadrian's Wall, onto which it fell, in Northumberland National Park. Prosecutors say one of them took a chainsaw to the tree while the other filmed it and that they were "in it together".

Graham, 39 and Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, are then said to have revelled in the reaction to their alleged "mindless vandalism" in September 2023. Messages between the pair the next day show them commenting that "it's gone viral" and "I think it's gonna go wild," a court heard.

Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court were told the original footage of the incident, shot in the pitch black at coordinates matching those of Sycamore Gap and found on Graham's phone, was enhanced by experts to produce grainy footage showing the silhouette of a figure at the base of the tree and the distinctive sound of a chainsaw. After just two minutes and 41 seconds, the tree, which had stood for more than a century, can be seen and heard to fall.

As news broke of what had happened the next day, messages allegedly show two men accused of felling the tree 'revelling' in the reaction to what they had done.

Jurors were told of the accused sharing links about the breaking news of what had happened, the following morning. Graham said to Carruthers: "Here we go." Graham also commented to Carruthers: "Not a bad angle on that stump. That's clearly a professional."