Jury finds two men guilty of felling Sycamore Gap tree in act of 'mindless thuggery'

Two friends who embarked on a "moronic mission" to fell the Sycamore Gap tree with a chainsaw have been found guilty of "mindless" criminal damage.

- Mark Brown

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, cut down the cherished tree, next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, as Storm Agnes raged in the early hours of 28 September 2023.

They saw it as a "bit of a laugh" and afterwards "revelled" in their infamy as the crime made headlines around the world, a jury was told. They thought themselves "big or funny or clever".

Neither Graham nor Carruthers showed any visible emotion as guilty verdicts were delivered yesterday morning. It took the jury five hours to reach the unanimous verdicts.

The judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, said she would pass sentence on 15 July, by which time pre-sentence reports would be ready. Remanding both men into custody, she said they could face "a lengthy period" in jail.

After the verdict, the Woodland Trust called on the government to bring in new legislation to ensure important trees are listed for protection, as historical buildings are.

Both men denied the charges of criminally damaging the tree and the wall it stood beside, a Unesco world heritage site. They said they were at their homes in Cumbria at the time.