Two Ex-Friends Convicted for Felling Iconic Sycamore Gap Tree

Two former friends have been convicted of deliberately and recklessly damaging the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in an instance of “mindless criminal damage.”

Graham and Carruthers drove through adverse weather for 30 miles from their homes in Cumbria to reach the Northumberland landmark, where one used a chainsaw to cut down the sycamore while the other recorded it.

At Newcastle Crown Court, it was revealed that the duo kept a piece of the trunk as a trophy and spent the following day reveling in the news coverage of their “foolish act.”

Prosecutors described the pair, who regularly engaged in activities together, as having thought it would be “just a bit of fun,” but they realized the gravity of their actions when faced with public outrage for their “mindless thuggery.”

On Friday, Graham, 39, a groundworker, and Carruthers, 32, a mechanic, were found guilty on two counts of criminal damage—one involving the tree and another concerning Hadrian’s Wall, which sustained damage from the fallen sycamore.

No visible reaction was observed from either defendant as the jury took just over five hours to convict them of causing £622,191 in damage to the tree and £1,144 to the wall.

The court learned that the “iconic” sycamore had stood for over a century in a picturesque dip within Hadrian’s Wall, becoming a renowned location for everything from picnics to proposals, especially gaining international attention as a result of its feature in the 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” starring Kevin Costner.

Prosecutor Richard Wright, KC, explained to jurors, “Although the tree had thrived for over a hundred years, it took mere minutes for it to be irreparably harmed.”

Witnesses noted that Graham and Carruthers were close friends at the time and regularly collaborated on tree-felling projects.

The court heard that Graham’s Land Rover was recorded by automatic number plate recognition cameras while traveling between Carlisle and Sycamore Gap during the night of September 27, 2023, and returning early the following morning. His phone’s location traced the same route.

When the police apprehended the two and examined Graham’s phone, they discovered a video lasting two minutes and 41 seconds, which depicted the sycamore’s felling at 12:30 a.m. on September 28, sent to Carruthers.

Additionally, images and videos of a chunk of the tree trunk and a chainsaw were found in the back of Graham’s Range Rover, although these items have never been recovered.

Messages and voice memos exchanged the following day revealed them discussing how the story had gone “wild” and “viral,” referencing “an operation similar to last night’s” and joking about the damage looking as though it had been caused by professionals.

Wright noted that by the time the trial commenced 18 months later, the duo had “lost their confidence,” and their once strong friendship had disintegrated, with each seemingly blaming the other.

Graham claimed that Carruthers had taken his Range Rover and phone to Sycamore Gap that night without his consent, stating that he turned against his former friend due to the repercussions of Carruthers’s actions on his business.

During his testimony, Graham asserted that Carruthers had a peculiar interest in the sycamore, calling it “the most famous tree in the world” and expressing a desire to cut it down, even keeping a piece of string in his workshop to measure its circumference.

Carruthers refuted this, expressing confusion over the uproar, stating it was “just a tree.”

When cross-examining Carruthers, Wright queried: “Is this what it boils down to? You viewed it as ‘just a tree,’ and when the world reacted negatively, you lost your nerve and couldn’t own up to it?”

Sentencing is scheduled for July 15.