Two friends who felled Sycamore Gap caused outrage "across the world"
Two pals who filmed themselves felling the world famous Sycamore Gap tree and caused outrage "across the world" are due to learn their fate.
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, used a chainsaw to take down the internationally loved landmark in an act of "mindless vandalism" and filmed its destruction.
The reason behind the felling of such a significant piece of UK history remains a mystery and the motive for the callous attack, which caused indignation across the globe, is still unknown.
After causing the damage, the pair, who had travelled in Graham's Range Rover, took pictures of a wedge of tree they had kept as a "trophy", next to a chainsaw in the back of the vehicle.
The missing piece of wood and the chainsaw used to cut the Sycamore down have never been found.Groundworks boss Graham, of Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, who has previous convictions for battery and public order and Carruthers, of Church Street, Wigton, who worked in property maintenance and mechanics and has no offences on his record, were each convicted of two charges of damaging property, which they denied.
Both will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court today (TUES).
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said the tree was valued at £458,000 although that was not a precise figure and not agreed by the defence.
Andrew Poad, General Manager for the National Trust portfolio consisting of Northumberland Coast, Hadrian's Wall and Cherryburn made an impact statement on behalf of his team.
He said in the statement, which was read out in court: "This iconic tree can never be replaced. Whilst the National Trust has cared for it on behalf of the nation, it belonged to the people.
“It was a totemic symbol for many; a destination to visit whilst walking Hadrian's Wall, a place to make memories, take photos in all seasons; but it was also a place of sanctuary – a calming, reflective space that people came to year after year.
“It was clear in the aftermath of the felling how much its loss impacted on the nation, with an outpouring of love and emotion. In the last year, we have tried to capture those sentiments to build a fitting way to remember the tree and what it meant to people.
"Whilst what was lost cannot be replaced, the stump is showing signs of life, with new shoots emerging at the base – as the decades progress, there is hope that some may grow and establish.
"The outpouring of emotion as the public responded to the felling was unprecedented for the National Trust. The overwhelming sense of loss and confusion was felt across the world.
"When it became clear that this was a malicious and deliberate act the question was why anyone would do this to such a beautiful tree in such a special place, it was beyond comprehension.
“Alongside its loss, the way it was felled causing damage to Hadrian's Wall was reckless in the extreme.
“The world's media descended on Sycamore Gap almost immediately and news crews were onsite throughout the week requesting interviews and updates as to what would happen next and how the National Trust would respond to the felling.
"In that first week in the aftermath, there were over 1500 pieces of media coverage reporting on what had happened, with over 50 media interviews conducted by the National Trust.
"A short video was created in response to the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree and was shared through the Trust's social media channels. By 18 October 2023 it had been viewed 3.7million times.
Messages the National Trust received from around the globe spoke of the public's devastation. People said they were "shocked, horrified, heartbroken" and likened it to the loss of a family member, stating it "wasn't just a tree".
Mr Poad added: "It has been heartbreaking to see the mindless destruction on a much-loved iconic site. I can speak on behalf of our team to say we were all devastated and saddened by the events.
"The team have been overwhelmed and grateful for the thousands of messages of support and offers of help. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to get in touch and to share their stories about the significance of this important site.
"I must also say how relentless the attention has been for our team – the impact has been felt every day since in our work and personal lives, it has been all consuming and relentless since the moment it happened. I can’t emphasise this last point enough, with the impact being felt round the clock by all concerned."
Mr Poad said he removal of the tree, subsequent care of it and the site cost £30,000, with a further £20,000 to be spent this year, all from the National Trust's charitable funds.
The court heard the tree, which had grown for over 100 years, fell onto Hadrian's Wall, which it stood beside and caused damage to the Roman structure. A walker took the last known picture of the iconic tree before its brutal felling.
Alice Whysall Price had been trekking the route along Hadrian's Wall from east to west when she reached the landmark at around 5.20pm on September 27, 2023 and took images of its beauty.
The next image in existence was grainy footage found on Graham's phone which shows the felling of the Sycamore during a storm in the early hours of September 28 2023.
The chilling video, which is black and white and taken by one person holding a phone, shows a figure chain-sawing down the much loved tree in just two minutes and 40 seconds.
The sound of the machine can be heard running before the unmistakable noise of the Sycamore falling to the ground.
Senior Archaeologist Tony Wilmott from Historic England said the Sycamore Gap site was loved by "many thousands of people" and was a backdrop for marriage proposals, family visits and even a place to lay late loved ones' ashes and mementos.
He added that in 1992 it was used in the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman.
Mr Willmott said the tree was found resting on the wall on the early morning of September 28 2023 after it was felled under the cover of darkness and during Storm Agnes.
Lee McFarlane, inspector of historic monuments for Historic England, said Sycamore gap was internationally important and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Ms McFarlane said some of the stones of Hadrian's Wall were fractured by the impact of the tree but major damage was avoided as the sycamore was in leaf, which acted as a form of shield.
During her evidence Graham told jurors that Carruthers admitted he was responsible just hours after the felling but he did not initially believe him.
Graham claimed he later realised his Range Rover, which had his phone inside, must have been used by Carruthers to carry out the crime and he later ended their friendship. Carruthers told jurors he had been at home with his girlfriend and children on the night of the felling, after a trip out for a family meal was cancelled due to their unsettled newborn.
He said it was "just a tree" and was confused by the international condemnation over it being cut down. Jurors rejected their explanations for what they were doing that night and found them both guilty.