Daniel Graham tells court it was suggested he accept responsibility ‘because I have mental health issues’ One of the two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree has denied being responsible and said he was asked to take the blame because he had mental health issues. Daniel Graham said his co-defendant, Adam Carruthers, was responsible for felling the tree next to Hadrian’s Wall. He said Carruthers called it “the most famous tree in the world” and had a sentimental attachment to a length of string which he once used to measure its circumference. Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, were once good friends and are jointly charged with criminally felling the tree and damaging the Roman wall on which it stood. On day four of their trial at Newcastle crown court, Graham, who ran a groundwork business, gave evidence and accepted that his Range Rover car was used to drive to and from the tree and that his Apple iPhone was used to film its felling. But appearing in the witness box for the first time, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, Graham said he played no part and would have been in bed asleep in his caravan having taken sleeping pills. The tree was deliberately cut down in the early hours of 28 September 2023 during the strong winds of Storm Agnes. Prosecutors claim Graham and Carruthers were together on a “moronic mission” to topple it and later revelled in the resulting headlines. 0:54Footage purporting to show moment Sycamore Gap tree felled seen in court – videoGraham said that on the morning it happened Carruthers rang him and said he had cut down the tree. Graham told the jury: “I told him that he was talking shite, I didn’t believe it.” On a later date, he said Carruthers and another man, Lindsay Dalgleish, arrived at Graham’s property with pizza. They asked Graham to take the blame for felling the tree “because I have mental health issues. Apparently they would be more lenient with me”. Graham said “no”, he told the jury. Asked what their reaction was, Graham said they goaded him and told him: “Nowt will happen to you, you will get away with it.” Graham has named Dalgleish as a suspect in the case. DI Calum Meikle of Northumbria police told the court they had looked into claims about Dalgleish but were “satisfied that he wasn’t involved”. Graham’s barrister, Christopher Knox, asked his client if Carruthers had ever talked about felling the Sycamore Gap tree. “He’d mentioned it but he mentioned a lot of things,” said Graham. Graham said he recalled Carruthers talking about the tree in 2021 when Graham went to use some string and Carruthers said not to because it had sentimental value. Carruthers laid the string in a circle and said it was the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree. “He told me it was the most famous tree in the world,” said Graham. That was the first time Graham knew about the tree, he said. Knox said it was clear two people had been involved on the night – one person cutting down the tree and one filming. “Adam felled the tree, I don’t know 100% who the other person was,” Graham said. Under cross-examination by the prosecuting barrister, Richard Wright KC, Graham was asked if he was lying and changing his story. The court heard Graham owned two dogs, one big and vocal. Wright asked Graham why his dog did not go “berserk” when two people came into his yard and took his Range Rover. Graham said it was windy, the dog may not have heard and it would not have barked if it heard Carruthers’ voice. Wright asked if it was a lie that Graham first knew about the tree in 2021 since he had reported a car being stolen from the Steel Rigg car park – used by visitors to Sycamore Gap – in 2020. Graham said: “Just because I know about the car park doesn’t mean I know about the tree.” At one point Graham said to Wright: “You might be a little bit more educated than me and you’re trying to make a fool of me.” The trial has heard that police have never recovered the chainsaw used to cut down the tree, or a wedge of trunk that was removed in order to cut it down and was photographed in the boot of Graham’s Range Rover. On Friday the jury was played a phone call Graham made to police a year after the crime in which he offered intelligence anonymously. Graham can be heard telling police that if they were to visit Carruthers’ home, a caravan on Kirkbride airfield, they would find the chainsaws and wedge. He also said Carruthers had access to firearms – a handgun and an old shotgun. Graham told the court he believed the “police did not do a very good job” investigating the crime. Graham, of Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Wigton, are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the tree. They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco world heritage site. The tree and that particular section of the wall belong to the National Trust. The pair deny all the charges against them. The trial continues. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Daniel Graham claims Adam Carruthers admitted cutting tree down and wanted him to take blame because he had mental health issues I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice One of two men on trial for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree had a “fascination” with it and thought it would make a good trophy, Newcastle Crown Court heard on Friday Adam Carruthers had a “strange interest” in the tree Mr Carruthers, 32, and Daniel Graham, 39, each deny two counts of criminal damage to the Northumberland sycamore and to the nearby Hadrian’s Wall which was damaged when it came down in September 2023 On the fourth day of their trial Mr Graham said his co-accused had spoken of wanting to cut down the tree beside the Roman wall keeping a piece of string in his workshop to measure its circumference and ordering a chainsaw he said was “big enough” for the job Mr Graham also told the court his co-defendant rang him the morning after the tree was felled and claimed to be the person responsible He claimed Mr Carruthers asked him to take the blame for the crime “because he had mental health issues” and would be treated more leniently drove from Carlisle overnight during Storm Agnes to the Northumberland landmark The court had already heard the men sometimes worked together and had experience felling large trees Richard Wright KC put it to Mr Graham that Mr Carruthers had “a fascination” with and a “strange interest” in the tree saying: “He talked about it in the sense of it would be a good trophy.” Graham replied: “I suppose so, yeah.” He said he remembered Mr Carruthers ordering a big bar chainsaw and saying it was big enough to cover the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree He also said his former friend had mentioned the tree in 2021. “He laid this string on the floor, put it in a big circle, that was the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree,” Mr Graham told jurors. “At the time I didn’t know of the tree… He told me it was the most famous tree in the world.” Mr Graham said Mr Carruthers had used the string to measure the tree’s circumference. He said he first realised his Range Rover had been taken out that night when he saw it had been moved the next morning. He said it was not unusual for him to leave his phone in the vehicle overnight because he “liked to get away from his phone” after a day at work. He told the jury other people could use his iPhone, including people who worked for him who used it to connect to the internet as a hot spot. Earlier, the court heard that Mr Graham made an anonymous call to the emergency services’ 101 number, saying his former close friend was responsible for the crime. Mr Graham said they had been friends for about three years but he turned on Mr Carruthers when the Sycamore Gap investigation started affecting his business. He told the court: “My name is associated with my business and I started to have people phoning my business giving me abuse about the tree.” Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Print The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a suspect Tuesday after several tips and surveillance video helped detectives identify a man who they say went on a 12-day rampage in and around downtown using an electric chain saw to cut down at least 13 mature trees The vandalism sparked confusion and outrage when residents spotted the carnage on high-profile streets, including South Grand Avenue and Broadway, over the last several days. A number of trees were severed at the base, while others were cut several feet above the pavement and a few were still connected to their trunks by just a thread of bark. California Dozens of shade trees were hacked down throughout downtown L.A the LAPD released a community alert showing a photo of the suspect on a bicycle that described him as a man in his 40s police announced that Samuel Patrick Groft had been taken into custody on suspicion of felony vandalism Groft is accused of felling at least 13 trees since April 13 the majority in downtown but some also in Glassell Park and Westlake according to updates Wednesday from the LAPD Robert Gutierrez said just eight of the downed trees were worth an estimated $347,000 He expects that number will continue to increase as more incidents are confirmed “We’re getting more leads,” said Gutierrez, a burglary detective for the agency’s Central Division. The agency released Groft’s booking photo because detectives are still “seeking additional victims as they believe the suspect may be responsible for additional unreported crimes.” which works to move unhoused residents into temporary or permanent housing had about half a dozen tents up Wednesday morning The setup where Groft was apprehended was by far the largest surrounded by sheets of a silver thermal material On the sidewalk nearby was a burned-out tree and a stack of chopped-up tree branches The homeless encampment where police say Samuel Patrick Groft was arrested on Tuesday (David Zahniser / Los Angeles Times) One person who spends time in the neighborhood told The Times they had seen the suspect on Sunset previously at one point using his chain saw on a metal pole “There was sparks and s— flying everywhere,” said the person who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons In 2023, Groft told a student journalist from Cal State L.A. that he’d been living on the streets for several years, ever since he had completed a mental health court diversion program which provides residential mental health treatment to people facing jail time as an alternative to incarceration LAPD officials declined to comment on whether Groft was currently dealing with mental illness or substance abuse They also declined to share any possible motive for the tree cuttings Lillian Carranza conceded that the vandalism was quite peculiar “I have 35 years on the Los Angeles Police Department, and I have never seen anyone go and attack trees, especially around the time of Earth Day,” Carranza said. Groft was arrested on Earth Day Many people who live near the affected trees brought up not only their safety concerns after the incident but also the major environmental loss of important shade Groft was found in possession of a chain saw when he was arrested He has previously been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon LAPD officials declined to comment further on his criminal history but detectives said they were aware of him from prior cases Groft is accused of severing the first tree trunk on April 13 and his most recent on Tuesday Detectives said they are still confirming the exact dates and times of all the incidents but said some occurred in broad daylight and others in the middle of the night One tree was cut in the 500 block of North Broadway; three were sawed near 1550 W Temple St.; and one was taken out near 300 Treadwell St. Additional locations of fallen trees are still being investigated responded to seven trees that were recently cut down in L.A.: two ficus It wasn’t immediately clear the species of the additional downed trees that the LAPD is investigating and StreetsLA spokesperson Dan Halden referred further questions to the Police Department LAPD News: Central Division detectives are asking the public for help identifying a suspect seen on surveillance footage using a power saw to cut down several trees in the Downtown LA area. @LAPDCentral pic.twitter.com/ujsk38XsdA Anyone with further information is asked to contact detectives at (213) 924-8930 during regular business hours or the Central Area watch commander at (213) 486-6618 Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that the situation is “truly beyond comprehension” and that public works crews are working to replace the trees as soon as possible Trees provide many benefits to urban areas. They clean the air, replenish the groundwater, capture stormwater runoff, slow the deterioration of streets and have been shown to reduce crime They also create a very helpful cooling effect. On a hot day, the temperature under a tree canopy can be up to 10 degrees cooler than in the direct sun. One study by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation found that shade can reduce heat stress in the human body by 25% to 30% throughout the day. L.A. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents downtown, praised city agencies for their quick response — both with the arrest and the tree cleanup — and brought forward a motion that would increase penalties in the municipal code for tree injury violations in hopes of deterring such actions in the future. “For many of our DTLA residents, the public right-of-way is an extension of their home, their urban backyard,” Jurado said. “So the loss of these trees is personal, especially for a community that so fiercely advocates for the revitalization of their neighborhood.” Blair Besten, the executive director of the Historic Core Business Improvement District, said her organization was concerned about the trees in their area before the arrest — but luckily none were targeted. Still, it was an unsettling few days. “This was a really disturbing type of vandalism because it’s really difficult to repair — you can’t make a tree grow faster,” Besten said. Times staff writers Susanne Rust and Richard Winton contributed to this report. Clara Harter is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she covered politics and education for the L.A. Daily News. While at the Daily News, she published a series on fentanyl addiction that won a first-place investigative journalism award from the L.A. Press Club. Harter majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University. She loves surfing and, when not reporting, can most likely be found in the ocean. Grace Toohey is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times covering breaking news for the Fast Break Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Sentinel and the Advocate in Baton Rouge. Toohey is a Maryland native and proud Terp. David Zahniser covers Los Angeles City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Jury shown phone footage with sound of chainsaw and toppling tree Two men filmed themselves using a chainsaw to fell the famous Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall in an act of “mindless criminal damage” embarked on a “moronic mission” to cut down in minutes a tree that had stood for more than 100 years the prosecutor Richard Wright KC told Newcastle crown court have denied two charges of criminally damaging the tree and Hadrian’s Wall Wright said the tree had been in a dip in the wall in Northumberland national park Graham and Carruthers travelled in Graham’s Range Rover from Cumbria in the late hours of 27 September 2023 the tree had been deliberately felled with a chainsaw in an act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage,” Wright said “It fell on to a section of Hadrian’s Wall causing irreparable damage to the tree itself and further damage to the wall.” Wright said the people responsible were Graham and Carruthers they marked the intended cut with silver spray paint before cutting out a wedge that would dictate the direction in which the tree would fall filmed the act on Daniel Graham’s mobile telephone.” Adam Carruthers leaving Newcastle crown court on Monday Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PAThe jury was shown the phone footage in which the chainsaw and the sound of the tree toppling can be heard and the silhouette of a figure using the saw can be seen The wedge was put in the boot of Graham’s Range Rover – “perhaps a trophy taken from the scene Actions they appear to have been revelling in,” Wright said “During that return journey Mr Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner He replied to her: ‘I’ve got a better video than that.’ Minutes later the video of the felling of the tree was sent from Graham’s phone to Carruthers’ phone “At the time of that text conversation the only people in the world who knew that the tree had been felled were the men who had cut it down.” The next day the world’s media began reporting on the tree’s felling and the two men shared social media posts with Graham messaging Carruthers: “Here we go.” The tree before it was cut down Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The GuardianWright said Carruthers sent Graham a Facebook post from a man called Kevin Hartness saying: “Some weak people that walk this earth … disgusting behaviour.” Two minutes later Graham replied to Carruthers with a voice note saying: “That Kevin Hartness comment Carruthers replied with his own voice note saying: “I’d like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night … I don’t think he’s got the minerals.” Wright said this was “the clearest confirmation that Carruthers and Graham were both responsible for the deliberate felling of the tree and the subsequent damage to Hadrian’s Wall.” The prosecutor said messages between the two men talked about the felling of Sycamore Gap going “wild” and “viral” This is the reaction of the people that did it Carruthers and Graham were once good friends “That once close friendship has seemingly completely unravelled perhaps as the public revulsion at their behaviour became clear to them,” Wright said He said each man may now be trying to blame the other are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the tree They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall The wall and the tree belong to the National Trust Graham and Carruthers deny all the charges against them Minister says incident ‘opened up a nerve in the country’ as new questions raised over ownership of land it stood on The Forestry Commission has started an investigation into the controversial felling of an ancient oak near a Toby Carvery car park in north London amid new questions about ownership of the land on which it stood The investigation was announced by the junior environment minister Sue Hayman, who said the felling of the 500-year-old tree in Enfield earlier this month was “horrifying”. Speaking in the House of Lords on Thursday, Lady Hayman said: “It has opened up a nerve in the country about how important it is that our really ancient trees are properly protected.” Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR), which runs Toby Carvery, apologised for the upset caused by the felling and claimed it was necessary for safety reasons because the tree was dead or diseased. Read moreThe investigation is expected to challenge this assertion which has new powers to sanction unauthorised felling could impose fines and potentially launch a private prosecution over the incident Hayman said: “Toby Carvery said the tree needed to be felled because it was already dead and posed health and safety concerns The Forestry Commission is now carrying out the investigation into exactly what happened and whether or not the tree was dead or not it looks like a very heavily pollarded tree at the moment Experts who have investigated the tree’s remains say it was alive when it was felled. Last year a veteran tree survey conducted by Tottenham Hotspur football club, which has financial links with MBR, described it as a “fine specimen” conducted by the Tree and Woodland Company includes maps showing the tree was located on land owned by Enfield council just outside land leased by the council to Toby Carvery Experts claim that if it is confirmed that MBR did not lease the land in question the company could be prosecuted for criminal damage a firm that specialises in legal disputes over trees said: “If the tree was on someone else’s land then the argument that Toby Carvery was acting as a responsible leaseholder and keeping users of its car park safe falls away If it is on land outside their leasehold interest then it could be trespass and criminal damage It could potentially reopen the issue with the Metropolitan police “The Forestry Commission also has powers to pursue criminal cases … It does pursue private criminal prosecutions when it is in the public interest to do so and this is very easily going to tick that public interest box But they would need to be rock solid on where the land boundaries lie.” The incident was referred to the Met but the force concluded it was a civil dispute after establishing there was no tree preservation order in place Dodd said that even if MBR could prove it was leasing the land on which the tree stood, it could be liable for a civil claim of breaching the terms of the lease. Enfield council has already threatened MBR with legal action The Forestry Commission investigation will also establish whether MBR had a felling licence to take down the tree a licence is required to fell 5 cubic metres of wood every calendar quarter Hayman was responding to questions from the Liberal Democrat peer Claire Tyler She asked: “Doesn’t it show that current protections even for nationally significant trees are totally inadequate Indeed they are described as a gaping void by the Woodland Trust What specific steps is the government taking to ensure this outrage will never happen again Does the minister agree that a national list of heritage trees that would have intrinsic protections akin to ancient monuments and listed buildings would be a very good thing to introduce?” Hayman said the government was looking at recommendations from a report by the Tree Council and Forest Research on measures to improve protections for ancient She said: “We are going through those recommendations We are aware that there are great concerns … Clearly so many people were shocked by the felling of this tree.” This article was amended on 25 April 2025 An earlier version misnamed Sue Hayman as Helene Hayman beta This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it Dorset Council has issued a formal demand for Weymouth Park Ltd to undertake urgent replanting at Fleet Wood in Chickerell following the illegal felling of trees in January 2023 This call to action aims to restore the ecological integrity of the area which is fully protected by a Tree Preservation Order part of a Section 41 Priority Habitat within the Dorset Natural Landscape and the heritage coast was cleared of over 0.6 hectares of trees—far exceeding the Forestry Commission’s permission to thin 30% of the trees Investigations revealed the timber clearance occurred under the direction of individuals associated with Weymouth Park Ltd leaving a significant ecological void in this cherished habitat Although Weymouth Park Ltd was fined a record £30,000 in February 2025 by Weymouth Magistrates' Court for breaching the felling licence the responsibility for enforcing tree replacement in areas with a Tree Preservation Order lies with Dorset Council Dorset Council is pressing for immediate action informed by Forestry Commission guidelines The plan specifies planting 1,100 trees per hectare and more—ensuring ecological harmony with the surrounding woodland The council has given Weymouth Park Ltd until the end of the planting season Dorset Council will take further action to ensure compliance Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning emphasised the council's commitment to restoring Fleet Wood stating: "Fleet Wood is a vital part of Dorset's natural heritage We expect Weymouth Park Ltd to fulfil their responsibility and reinstate the woodland for the benefit of our environment and future generations Dorset Council will take all necessary measures to ensure this replanting is completed." This case highlights the importance of respecting legal protections for natural habitats and reflects Dorset Council’s dedication to restoring Fleet Wood to its rightful ecological state Categories: Nature recovery Planning Environment and Ecology An aerial view shows the extent of the felling Tree felling on the Loseley Estate near Compton during the bird-nesting season is creating growing concern among local residents Yesterday a resident reported that there had been a second visit by Surrey Police who were investigating further at the behest the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU – a national police unit that gathers intelligence on wildlife crime) The Guildford Dragon NEWS was told by Surrey Police that when they conducted their initial visit they had been unable to identify any offences Although widely regarded as crucial to avoid disturbing or harming nesting birds and their nests felling trees during the bird nesting season is not inherently illegal The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects wild birds and it’s an offence to intentionally damage or destroy an active nest But obtaining specific evidence that birds are being injured or killed is difficult Aerial photo showing location of felling at Bummoor Copse (A previous aerial photo published showed an incorrect location The matter was raised with the Forestry Commission last month by local MP Sir Jeremy Hunt following a letter sent to him by a concerned resident “Thank you for writing to me – it may not surprise you to know that you are not the only person to raise their concerns about this situation “I brought this serious matter to the urgent attention of Richard Stanford both at the Forestry Commission UK and recently received a response.” the Commission emphasised key regulatory requirements that all woodland management must follow potentially signalling an investigation into recent activities at the estate It said: “We have clear guidelines regarding the timing of operations which must comply with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981” and highlighted obligations under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 relating to European Protected Species Extracts from the Forestry Commission response to Jeremy Hunt It also clarified that approved thinning operations must be “implemented evenly across the felling site” and cannot “exceed 30 per cent of the total number of trees or remove more than 30 per cent of the original canopy cover per operation.” The statement warned that exceeding this threshold “may constitute a breach of the Licence.” who have reported extensive logging since the start of April have expressed concern that operations appear far more extensive than standard thinning practices would permit The timing coincides with peak nesting season and bluebell flowering raising questions about compliance with wildlife protection laws The Commission’s statement also addressed restoration requirements noting that when natural regeneration is specified “ground conditions must be maintained to facilitate and secure natural regeneration.” Environmental groups point out that the area’s bluebell colonies which take 5-7 years to establish and represent part of the UK’s globally significant population may struggle to recover if soil conditions have been compromised by heavy machinery A photo taken of what appear to be felled oak trees in Bummoor Copse told the BBC this week that the trees removed posed a potential long-term risk to the public and properties or were diseased and that an ecological survey was also undertaken before the start of the works which would improve the long-term wildlife habitat of the woodland said: “We have all heard the large trees falling for weeks now Part of me dies inside each time I think about it That woodland was where I went in all joys and sorrows “Every day you used to hear woodpeckers and you can’t now All of our local ecological systems will be affected by this The birds in our gardens rely on those woods Our natural heritage is something we share and should be cherished.” Compton Parish Council are now inviting residents to attend their Annual Parish Meeting at 7pm on Wednesday, May 7, at the Compton Club. It is understood that the Parish Council has contacted Loseley Estate and the Forestry Commission. It is expected that at the meeting residents will be able to hear what responses have been received as well as updates about various communications that some concerned residents have already had with relevant authorities and stakeholders since the tree-felling started almost one month ago. The Dragon invited Loseley Estate to comment but no response has been received. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); See: Comment - We Need Change But Not the Kind Being Imposed By Labour’s ‘Devolution’ This is Radio Schuman, your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond. From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs, this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans. Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics. No agenda, no argument, no bias, No Comment. Get the story without commentary. Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society. Europe's water is under increasing pressure. Pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. Video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters, from Euronews. We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source, analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing. We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt. A prosecutor in the UK has said that two men embarked on a "moronic mission" to cut down the famous Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland in an "act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage." The tree, revered for its symmetrical perch between two hills along ancient Hadrian's Wall, was cut down in the early hours of 28 September 2023, damaging the stone wall as it crashed to the ground. Although the sound was heard by few, the discovery of the fallen tree reverberated across the UK and caused a national outcry. "Though the tree had grown for over 100 years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes," prosecutor Richard Wright told jurors in opening statements at Newcastle Crown Court. Wright outlined the evidence against Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, who have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage. Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded £620,000 (€728,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at £1,100 (€1,293). Wright said one of the men used a chainsaw to expertly fell the tree in Northumberland National Park, while the other filmed the act using a phone. As they returned to their homes afterwards in Graham's Range Rover, Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner and replied, "I've got a better video than that," Wright said. "At the time of that text conversation, the only people in the world who knew the tree had been felled were the men who had had cut it down," Wright said. "And the only people in the world who had access to the video were the men who had filmed themselves in the act of cutting down the tree: the defendants Graham and Carruthers." The tree was far from Britain’s biggest or oldest. But the way its graceful canopy filled the saddle in the hills along a stretch of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in AD122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire had attracted generations of followers. The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves" and was a big draw for tourists, landscape photographers and people taking selfies. A criminal prosecution for cutting down a tree is rare and a prison sentence could be unprecedented if there's a conviction, said Sarah Dodd, an attorney who specialises in tree law. The maximum penalty for criminal damage is 10 years in jail. "I don't think anybody has got a custodial sentence for the illegal felling of a tree yet in the UK," said Dodd. "That's on the table because of the gravity of the situation. And when I say gravity, I think value and also the shock of the nation." Before the tree was cut down, about 80% of the inquiries at the main visitors' centre of the Northumberland National Park were from people planning to walk to the tree, the park's chief executive, Tony Gates, said. "The tree is part of our Northumbrian identity. It's something that everybody grows up knowing about," said Catherine Cape, who owns a guest cabin nearby. "For the people in the villages around the tree, who live near the tree, it was a source of great pride." The felled sycamore was removed with a crane and taken to a National Trust property for storage. A section of the trunk went on display at the park visitor centre last year and seeds from the tree that were used to grow saplings are being donated for planting around the UK. The tree is now fenced off, but there are signs of a possible recovery. Dozens of shoots have sprouted from the stump. said he was framed as part of a dispute and did not have the skills to cut down tree A man accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall told police he was being “stitched up” and did not have the skills to do it A jury at Newcastle crown court heard police interviews with Daniel Graham in which he also said he had no idea what he was doing on the night the tree was felled have denied charges of criminally damaging the famous tree and the Roman wall it stood on Prosecutors have alleged the pair travelled from Carlisle to Northumberland on a “moronic mission” to cut down the tree during Storm Agnes They are alleged to have driven there in Graham’s black Range Rover on the evening of 27 September 2023 They have been accused of filming on an iPhone the cutting down of the tree with a chainsaw in the early hours of 28 September The prosecution claims the two men took a wedge of the trunk as a trophy and later “revelled” in the headlines nationally and internationally about the loss of the tree Graham was first interviewed by police on suspicion of criminal damage on 31 October Court artist sketch of Daniel Graham (left) and Adam Carruthers. Photograph: Elizabeth Cook/PAOn day three of the trial, DI Calum Meikle of Northumbria police and a prosecuting barrister, Rebecca Brown, read out transcripts of interviews in which Graham denied having anything to do with felling the tree. He told police he thought he was being “fixed up” and mentioned a “fake profile” and a “pikey down the road” when asked with whom he was in dispute. Graham, a groundworker, said he was being “stitched up” and he knew who was accusing him. “It’s nowt to do with me and I don’t know who’s done it, but I know who’s put my name forward. I know who’s made the allegation … I know who’s done this to me.” He said he was being framed for the crime as part of a dispute with someone “stirring the pot”. Graham said he allowed other people to use his Range Rover. Asked if any of the chainsaws he owned could be linked to cutting down the sycamore, Graham told police: “They wouldn’t be big enough.” He said he did not have the skills to fell such a large tree. Asked how he would cut down the tree at Sycamore Gap, he replied: “I have never done a large fell, I haven’t been trained for that.” Graham told police he did not remember sending Carruthers a message saying “here we go” the morning after the tree was felled as the media picked up on the story. He replied “no comment” when he was asked who had cut the tree down and if there was a reason for it. Interviews with Carruthers were also read to the jury. He said he could not remember what he was doing on the night the tree was felled but there was a “good chance” he was at home looking after his new baby. Carruthers told police he had never felled a tree and thought chainsaws were “nasty things”, adding that he would rather “stick with spanners”. He said: “If someone said ‘there’s a tree and there’s a saw, cut that down’, I’d have a go but I’ve never done it.” The court heard that police had never recovered the wedge of the tree said to have been taken as a trophy, or the chainsaw used to topple the sycamore. Graham, of Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Wigton, are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the tree. They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco world heritage site. The wall and the tree belong to the National Trust. was found lying across Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland in September 2023 are on trial and deny the charges - we're reporting live from court Jurors have heard Daniel Graham say he did not "have anything to do with" felling the tree and blamed his co-accused in an anonymous phone call to police The pair are charged with causing criminal damage to the tree the trial is over for the day and for the week It will resume in courtroom one in Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday morning Before they left for the bank holiday weekend the high court judge presiding over the case tells jurors they must not talk to anyone about the case or conduct any of their own research she told them they had to set all emotion aside and reach verdicts purely on what they saw and heard within the four walls of the courtroom Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSome tense exchanges in courtpublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 2 May16:31 BST 2 MayErica WitheringtonReporting from Newcastle Crown Court Daniel Graham has spent just over three hours giving evidence today He was on his feet in the witness box with a large file of evidence in front of him Adam Carruthers was sitting leaning forwards very low down with the top of his head only just visible There were some tense exchanges between Mr Graham and prosecutor Richard Wright KC while Mr Graham had earlier claimed it seemed as if Mr Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney wanted to just argue with him rather than ask questions The day ended with Mr Graham exasperated at being asked the "same question" by Mr Wright saying it had "clearly" been a "long day" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Most likely asked' why Carruthers took film on his phonepublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 2 May16:27 BST 2 MayMr Graham says it was "most likely" he did challenge Mr Carruthers about the video and photos he found on his phone that morning he says he did not ask more questions because the tree was "not my problem" adding: "You keep asking me about time "I cannot give you a word-for-word conversation either Mr Wright says it has been a long day and it was hot in court with the intention of returning to the topic when the trial resumes on Tuesday Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDaniel Graham says he did not believe co-accused had cut down treepublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 2 May16:24 BST 2 MayMr Graham says Mr Carruthers called him at about 09:20 that morning and told him he had chopped down the tree Mr Wright says by that point Mr Graham would have known his car had been taken and returned the global media was reporting on the tree being felled an Mr Carruthers was telling him he did it "Are you really telling us you still thought he was [making it up]?" Mr Wright asks Mr Graham says Mr Carruthers told "a thousand stories" of things he had supposedly done adding he tried to "impress people" He says his reply to media stories of "here we go" was him saying he did not believe Mr Carruthers rather than getting ready for the reaction to the tree being felled as has been alluded to by prosecutors Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefendant asked if he would not have wanted phonepublished at 16:21 British Summer Time 2 May16:21 BST 2 MayWe have now resumed and Mr Wright is asking Mr Graham about his phone and finding it on the morning of 28 September The prosecutor says the day before Mr Graham had told Mr Carruthers there would be a storm that night which could generate lot of tree surgery work for them telling him get the "saws warmed up" Mr Graham would later tell police a storm for his line of work was "like Christmas for taxi drivers" wouldn't he have wanted to have his phone on him as soon as possible on 28 September to respond to business calls Mr Graham says the work would not have been immediate for example there would be jobs for insurance companies that would come in later and he already had a job planned for that morning so did not need to find immediate work Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Pull the faces you want I can't remember'published at 16:12 British Summer Time 2 May16:12 BST 2 MayCourt is now just taking a break with Mr Graham having been under cross-examination for an hour and a half Mr Wright was just asking him about the morning after what time Mr Graham got up and when he got his phone and found the video of the alleged felling Mr Graham says he cannot recall such details so long after the event telling the prosecutor: "You stand there and pull all the faces you want it's not going to help me remember." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefendant is asked why his car was takenpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 2 May16:01 BST 2 MayMr Graham is asked why whoever felled the tree took his car to get to the scene "It was a 4x4," Mr Graham replies Asked if he believed someone was trying to make it look like he was responsible Mr Graham says: "I don't know what their intentions were." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingProsecutor asks 'who searched for weather?'published at 15:56 British Summer Time 2 May15:56 BST 2 MayEarlier in the day of the felling someone searched for the Met Office and weather warnings on Mr Graham's phone The prosecutor has already said the wind would have assisted whoever felled the tree as it would have pushed the tree northbound When asked who used his phone to make the search Mr Graham replies: "I wouldn't know Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPictures shown to jury show two defendantspublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 2 May15:51 BST 2 MayWe have just received some of the photos shown to the jury today They include a picture taken by Mr Graham of his co-accused Mr Carruthers holding some owls the significance being there were chainsaws next to him There is also a picture taken by Mr Graham of he and Mr Carruthers doing tree surgery Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Anyone was welcome to use my phone'published at 15:34 British Summer Time 2 May15:34 BST 2 MayMr Wright asks Mr Graham about letting people use his mobile phone "Anyone is welcome to use my phone," he says The prosecutor points Mr Graham to his first police interview in which he said nobody else used the phone unless they were with him at work Mr Graham replies he meant anyone that he worked with would know the passcode for his phone He said Mr Wright was maybe more educated than him and was "trying to make a fool" of him but the phone had been left in the Range Rover and Adam Carruthers had access to both Asked if Mr Carruthers had been "lucky" the phone was in the Range Rover Mr Graham says it was lucky for him but "unlucky for me because it's put me in this situation" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDaniel Graham says he was asleep in caravan the whole nightpublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 2 May15:26 BST 2 MayMr Graham agrees he has machinery worth hundreds of thousands pounds in his yard Mr Graham says he has gates to keep his dogs and horses in but does not lock them He claims he was asleep in his caravan the whole night and never heard anyone taking or returning his car Mr Wright asks if Mr Graham's dog would have "gone berserk" and barked loudly if anyone came into his yard Mr Graham confirms he has a "large and vocal dog" but he did not hear it bark Asked if his dog is "deaf" and could therefore not have heard someone in the yard Mr Graham says it was a windy and noisy night although says the prosecution barrister has probably never been in a caravan so wouldn't know what that was like Mr Wright confirms he has indeed been in a caravan Mr Graham also says the caravan is a long way from the gates and his car was parked outside the yard adding even if the dog had heard Mr Carruthers it would not have barked as it knew him and would have recognised his voice Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'I'd never heard of tree until 2021' Daniel Graham tells courtpublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 2 May15:19 BST 2 MayMr Graham claims he had never heard of the tree until 2021 when Mr Carruthers told him about it But he admits he reported a car stolen from the Steel Rigg Car park months before he had the conversation with Mr Carruthers When challenged again about his claim he had not heard of the tree before 2021 by Mr Wright Mr Graham says he had used the car park to go for walks with his dogs but not visited the tree Mr Graham says he had seen Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves He insists he had not heard of the "legendary tree" before 2021 when Mr Carruthers told him about it Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Carruthers had fascination with tree'published at 15:08 British Summer Time 2 May15:08 BST 2 MayAsked by Mr Wright if Mr Carruthers had a "fascination" with the tree He says he had never heard of the tree until Mr Carruthers told him about in 2021 when Mr Carruthers showed him a piece of string said to be the same circumference as the trunk Mr Graham says Mr Carruthers described it as the most famous tree in the world and "mentioned" cutting it down but Mr Graham thought that was a "joke" and "not a serious conversation" He says Mr Carruthers had a "strange interest in a lot of things" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Wind on the night would have helped' defendant sayspublished at 15:03 British Summer Time 2 May15:03 BST 2 MayMr Graham tells Mr Wright he was only trained in felling small and medium trees But he says he can explain the hinge and wedge technique used to fell the tree Mr Wright asks if that night was a good one to fell the tree because a storm was coming and the wind was blowing from south to north meaning the feller would be assisted by the elements in ensuring the tree fell northwards across the wall Mr Graham says he "wouldn't personally need the wind to fell a tree" but he agrees it would have helped reducing the need for equipment such as wedges to keep the cut tree open Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Adam Carruthers capable of cutting down tree'published at 14:57 British Summer Time 2 May14:57 BST 2 MayNow prosecutor Richard Wright KC is cross-examining Mr Graham The prosecutor starts by asking what the pair agree on "Do you agree Adam Carruthers cut down the tree at Sycamore Gap?" Mr Wright asks going on to also agree Mr Carruthers caused "irreparable damage" to the tree and harm to the wall He also says Mr Carruthers' skill and experience made him "capable" of doing the deed Mr Graham also agrees there must have been at least two people there with one filming while the other cut the tree Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDaniel Graham says he searched about investigation with co-defendantpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 2 May14:52 BST 2 MayThe court has heard numerous searches were made on Mr Graham's phone in the days afterwards for information on the felling and updates on the police investigation Daniel Graham says he was making the searches while he was sitting with Mr Carruthers He also says he told police that Mr Carruthers had firearms in the anonymous call because officers should have been aware of that Asked if he was trying to exaggerate the case against Mr Carruthers and get him in more trouble Mr Graham says he had "no reason to get him in more trouble than he was in" He is asked if he was trying to get himself out of trouble to which Mr Graham replies: "I don’t need to get myself out of trouble because I haven't done anything Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'I am not a liar' Daniel Graham sayspublished at 14:44 British Summer Time 2 May14:44 BST 2 MayMr Gurney says Mr Graham's claim that Mr Carruthers had a piece of string which was the circumference of the tree which they discussed was a "complete fabrication" Mr Graham says it seems everything he says is a lie adding: "I know it happened and [Mr Carruthers] knows." Mr Gurney says he is indeed suggesting "everything out of your mouth is untrue" to which Mr Graham replies that's what the barrister is paid to do Mr Graham says his account has not changed the only difference was when he named Mr Carruthers which he had not wanted to do at the outset Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'I told him we were no longer friends'published at 14:35 British Summer Time 2 May14:35 BST 2 MayMr Gurney asks Mr Graham: "At what point Mr Graham says it was when his business started to suffer because of the accusations with him having to remove his name from his vehicles and wagons or they would be targeted "That was the last time I spoke to Adam." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPhone pin code given to people he trustedpublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 2 May14:31 BST 2 MayMr Graham says he gave other people the passcode to his phone the one taken on the night to Sycamore Gap on which the moment of the felling was allegedly filmed He says he gave the code to people he trusted and denied keeping the phone on him and private to avoid his partner seeing conversations with other people he wanted to keep hidden He says said other people could use his vehicles Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCross-examination of Daniel Graham beginspublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 2 May14:29 BST 2 MayAfter about an hour and a half of questions from his own barrister Mr Graham is now being questioned by Andrew Gurney Mr Gurney starts by saying it is simply not true Mr Carruthers and his friend attempted to persuade Mr Graham to take the blame "It's 110% true," Mr Graham says Mr Gurney asks if everything Mr Graham says is true to which the defendant replies: "Yes." each deny two counts of criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Whitewebbs Park oak cut down by contractors working for firm that runs nearby restaurant The sudden felling of one of the oldest and largest oak trees in London has been carried out by the company that owns a nearby Toby Carvery as campaigners renewed calls for better protection for such nationally significant trees with a trunk that was more than six metres in circumference It was listed on the Woodland Trust inventory of ancient trees but was not the subject of a tree preservation order The tree was felled earlier this month by contractors working for Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR) which runs the nearby Toby Carvery and leases the land where the tree stood from Enfield council The council said it had not been informed of the decision to cut down the tree and urged the Metropolitan police to investigate said: “We are treating the matter as criminal damage and have reported it to the police.” It is understood that on Tuesday the Metropolitan police closed an investigation into the incident after deciding it was a civil matter The council has placed a tree preservation order on the remaining trunk in the hope that it may grow back A spokesperson for MBR said its contractors had warned that the tree was diseased They said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised by our specialist arboriculture contractors that it caused a potential health and safety risk “This was an important action to protect our employees and guests as well as the wider general public “We took necessary measures to ensure any legal requirements were met We are grateful to our specialist arboriculture contractors for warning us of this potential health and safety risk allowing us to act swiftly to address it.” Campaigners have expressed dismay at the incident. Writing on X said: “This shows the desperate need for better protections for our veteran and ancient trees A building the same age as this tree would almost certainly be listed (council owned or not) and we should have an equivalent system for trees with equivalent enforcement and punishment.” said it was “a reminder to all of us that not every ancient tree is in a safe place” He added: “It is very unusual to see the felling of an oak tree of this size and age Legally protected status for trees like the Whitewebbs oak is long overdue This issue has widespread public support and is an open goal for the government to act upon.” The trust is campaigning for legislation that would make a list of nationally important heritage trees the subject of preservation orders the trial of two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree is due to take place at Newcastle crown court Experts say ancient oaks have more ecological value than sycamores because they support hundreds more species Sky's Shingi Mararike reports from Newcastle Crown Court where Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are on trial for causing criminal damage to the famous tree and Hadrian's wall. A landowner from South Wales has been fined almost £80,000 under a confiscation order by Swansea Crown Court for illegally felling more than 8ha of native woodland which were within the Gower area of outstanding natural beauty See also: Can Welsh farming afford another national park? After a long court battle with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Mr Lane was ordered to pay £78,615 by the court on 31 March 2025 the Crown Court made a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act against Mr Lane based on the Court’s assessment of his available assets at that time NRW became aware that Mr Lane was about to come into additional assets from the sale of property NRW made an application to the Crown Court to increase the amount that Mr Lane must pay under the original confiscation order NRW’s forest regulation and tree health team leader said: “Woodland loss is a significant threat to habitats and biodiversity especially in the face of the climate and nature emergency “These cases send a clear message that illegal felling will not be tolerated.” He added that NRW was committed to using the confiscation regime to ensure that convicted defendants do not keep any financial benefit from the environmental crimes they have committed Visit our Know How centre for practical farming advice The trial of two men accused of chopping down the tree at Sycamore Gap is taking place at Newcastle Crown Court Prosecutors say groundworker Daniel Graham drove from Carlisle overnight during Storm Agnes to the Northumberland landmark in September 2023 The pair each deny two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to Hadrian’s Wall the jury was played a recording of an anonymous call to the emergency services The call to the 101 number took place on August 23 last year and named Carruthers the officer in charge of the Northumbria Police inquiry told the court he was absolutely certain that the caller was Graham having checked the defendant’s phone records and seeing that the time of the anonymous call matched The court also heard from heard from Graham today, who said Carruthers had spoken of wanting to cut down the much-loved tree and asked him to take the blame for the crime because he had mental health issues and would be treated more leniently. Earlier this week the jury was shown the video of the moment the tree was felled. Yesterday, the court heard that Graham told police when he was interviewed about the incident that he was framed. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox *We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement Phone: 01768 862313Email: admin@cumbriacrack.com Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited No: 12475190VAT registration number: 343486488 © 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. Two men went on a “moronic mission” to fell the famous Sycamore Gap tree in an act of “mindless vandalism” which they filmed on a phone, a jury has been told. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers used a chainsaw to chop down the tree and “the technique that they used showed expertise and a determined, deliberate approach to the felling”, prosecutors told Newcastle Crown Court. Opening the prosecution case, Richard Wright KC told the jury: "One of the men cut across the trunk, causing the sycamore to fall and hit Hadrian’s Wall, while the other defendant filmed what they were doing on Graham’s mobile phone. “Though the tree had grown for over 100 years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes. Having completed their moronic mission, the pair got back into the Range Rover, and travelled back towards Carlisle.” Graham, 39, of Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, deny two counts each of criminal damage. They are jointly charged with causing £622,191 of criminal damage to the much-photographed Northumberland tree. They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The jury at Newcastle Crown Court was played a video from Graham's iPhone lasting two minutes and 41 seconds. Mr Wright said: “The video, when first played, is extremely dark, but you will hear the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw, and you will hear a tree falling.” The video was enhanced by a Northumbria Police expert. “What you are going to see is the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree recorded by Daniel Graham’s telephone,” Mr Wright said. The prosecution suggest that the video was taken by someone holding the phone in their hand. “It moves around and zooms in and out as the recording continues, and another person felling the tree. Around half way through the video, the chainsaw quiets, and someone removed the wedge from the tree, before the machine starts up again and the sycamore falls." Mr Wright KC told jurors the video was filmed on Graham’s phone in “real time” at 12.32am on September 28, and the metadata showed the co-ordinates were for Sycamore Gap. Mr Wright said the defendants marked their intended cut on the tree with silver spray paint before cutting out a wedge that would dictate the direction in which the tree would fall. The prosecutor told jurors that photographs and two short videos were taken on Graham’s mobile telephone which showed a piece of wood next to a chainsaw in the boot of his vehicle. He said that a forensic botanist has confirmed that there is “very strong evidence” to support the hypothesis that the piece of wood was taken from Sycamore Gap. Ian Everard, who had worked for the Forestry Commission for over 36 years, examined the tree and the photographs, and confirmed that the marking of the tree and cutting a wedge is a recognised technique in felling, the court heard. The wedge from the tree has never been found, the court heard. A number of phones were seized by police, with their contents downloaded, after officers arrested Graham and Carruthers. According to the prosecution, this included messages and voice notes. At 10am on 27 September 2023, a message from Graham to Carruthers, said: “Big storm tonight we might get onto storm damage get saws warmed up.” The prosecution said the message was not about the Sycamore Gap felling, as it refers to storm damage rather than a deliberate act, but that it demonstrates Graham and Carruthers had knowledge of how to fell a tree, and had access to the required equipment. Mr Wright told the court: “When on Thursday morning the felled tree was discovered and global media began reporting the news, Carruthers and Graham shared social media posts about it with each other, Graham saying to Carruthers, ‘here we go’. “The discussions between the pair are a clear indication that they were the men that cut down the tree.” The prosecutors said the defendants joked about “an operation like we did last night” the day after the felling of the tree in voice note messages. Mr Wright said this was “the clearest confirmation, in their own voices, that Carruthers and Graham were both responsible for the deliberate felling of the tree and the subsequent damage to Hadrian’s Wall”. The court heard police found a chainsaw blade and cover at Graham’s property when he was arrested on October 31 2023, and a chainsaw at Carruthers’ property on November 3 that year. Mr Wright told jurors: “We do not and cannot say that the chainsaws recovered by the police were the actual saws used in the felling of the Sycamore tree. “As you will hear, the prosecution’s hypothesis that the chainsaw used to fell the tree has been hidden away and it simply has not been found." He said in the following days “message after message” about the Sycamore Gap story were shared between them or screenshotted and saved by Daniel Graham, showing they were “gathering news of their infamy”. The court heard Graham and Carruthers’ “once close friendship appears to have unravelled,” with each of them now apparently blaming the other. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know... your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt There is a hole in the heart of the rolling hills of northern England A majestic sycamore tree that once sat symmetrically between two hills along Hadrian's Wall was mysteriously felled more than a year-and-a-half ago causing disbelief and distress for those who considered it an almost sacred site “We’re still devastated by it,” said Catherine Cape I just don’t like looking at the space there.” Cape will be among those paying attention this week when prosecutors in Newcastle Crown Court begin presenting their case on Monday, 28 April, against two men accused of toppling the famous Sycamore Gap tree and damaging the ancient wall have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded £620,000 (€729,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at £1,100 (€1,300) Prosecutors haven't said what evidence they have or what inspired the suspects to chop down the revered tree A criminal prosecution for cutting down a tree is rare and the potential for any prison time for such an offence — not to mention that the maximum penalty for criminal damage is 10 years behind bars — is possibly unprecedented said attorney Sarah Dodd who specialises in tree law “I don’t think anybody has got a custodial sentence for the illegal felling of a tree yet in the UK,” said Dodd who researched it and discussed the matter with colleagues “That’s on the table because of the gravity of the situation I think value and also shock of the nation.” The tree was far from Britain’s biggest or oldest But the way the tree's graceful canopy filled the saddle in the hills along a stretch of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire had attracted generations of followers The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves,” and was a big draw for tourists landscape photographers and people snapping selfies for social media “I've never had so many conversations as I’ve had about the Sycamore Gap,” said Dodd who plans to attend the trial as a once-in-a-career opportunity “Everybody knows about it. It’s captured the hearts or the attention at least of the whole of the UK. Even people that don’t really care about trees or would not really even think about it.” The grassy spot along the wall had been the site of first kisses wedding proposals and a place where the ashes of loved ones were scattered Cape walked to the tree on the first dates with her future husband They later watched their daughter take her first steps there And after her mother and sister both died in 2020 Cape met her brother-in-law and nephews there when they couldn’t gather indoors during the COVID-19 lockdown about 80 per cent of the inquiries at the main visitors' centre of the Northumberland National Park were from people planning to walk to the tree "The tree’s part of our Northumbrian identity. It’s something that everybody grows up knowing about,” Cape said. “For the people in the villages around the tree, who live near the tree, it was a source of great pride.” The sycamore was removed with a crane and taken to a National Trust property for storage. A section of the trunk went on display at the park visitor centre last year and seeds from the tree that were used to grow saplings are being donated for planting around the UK. In time, the tree itself may grow back. Dozens of shoots have sprouted from the stump. Work is currently underway to protect the future of our city’s trees from disease. Unfortunately, a combination of ash dieback and elm disease means we’re having to fell trees in Hollingbury Woods, Wild Park and Stanmer Park. The sad reality is that disease is accelerating in our parks and it’s vital we act swiftly to contain the spread. We’re working closely with our contractors and monitor the work being done and will only fell trees where it is absolutely necessary. We do sometimes need to remove healthy trees to access those that are infected, but this is always kept to a minimum and care is taken to avoid more mature trees. Sadly, it means we’ll be felling several hundred trees. Once the felling is complete, we will assess the best approach for regeneration, carefully considering the balance between diversity, natural regrowth and replanting whips. Over the last year, the trees along Coldean Lane have also become heavily infected with elm disease and ash dieback.  Many of these trees have died and are in a state of serious decay; their proximity to the road and the path through the woodlands means they now present a significant danger to members of the public. As there is a road closure already planned between 24 and 28 February, it makes sense to remove trees during this period to minimise disruption.  There are around 150 trees to be removed from the bluebell flats and Varley Hall.  Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet member for Sports and Recreation, said: “We fully understand the concern and distress the felling work is causing, not least because in areas like Hollingbury Woods, the result can be a dramatic change in how parts of the woods look. “The sad reality is that we must do this work to prevent the spread of disease to hundreds more trees. “Our teams are working hard to ensure trees are only removed when we have no other option and we’ll be looking at all available options for replanting in the future.” Sadly, three large beech trees need to be felled next to Patcham Place recreation ground to prevent the risk of them falling onto the busy road. Businesses across Brighton & Hove are being given the chance to kick off the new year out in the fresh air. While Woodvale Crematorium is closed for refurbishment, some trees in the extra mural cemetery found to be infected by Ash Dieback are being felled so they don't pose a risk to the public. We use cookies to help improve our service and give a better experience to you. You can agree to cookies or go to the settings and change your preferences. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by following the 'Cookies' link in the footer. Contractors working for Gateshead Council will be felling trees in the centre of Park Lane roundabout next week, next to the A167 Gateshead Highway flyover. The work will be carried out by a team from BAM Nuttall to provide clear access for future demolition works planned for the flyover structure.  A timetable has not yet been agreed for the demolition works, but it's vital to remove these trees before any birds begin nesting. An ecologist will be on site to ensure no birds are  disturbed by the tree works. To safely carry out this important work, a lane closure will be in place around the centre of the roundabout. We are working with BAM Nuttall to minimise the impact on traffic at this busy junction, so all works will be carried out during night-time hours. The works are scheduled for the nights of Tuesday 22nd - Wednesday 23rd April and Wednesday 23rd - Thursday 24th April 2025, starting at 8pm and running until 6am. We appreciate that over night working can be noisy and disruptive and apologise in advance for the inconvenience and noise caused for nearby residents. We will do our best to minimise disturbance and complete the works as efficiently and safely as possible. For any felling of healthy trees like the ones at Park Lane roundabout, we always aim to  plant new trees elsewhere in Gateshead to compensate for their loss. It is Gateshead Council policy to increase tree cover across the area, and we are in the middle of a programme to add 100,000 trees on Council land by 2030 and to support the creation of 250 hectares of new woodland in Gateshead by 2050. Gateshead Now is a collection of the latest news from Gateshead Council. To keep up to date, why not follow us. Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsdorsetnewsTree vandals slammed: Council demands woodland replanted after illegal mass fellingWeymouth Park Limited has been ordered to plant 6,000 trees at Fleet Wood in Chickerell by March next year Dorset Council is demanding that trees in Chickerell get replanted after they were illegally felled at Fleet Wood which sits within a Section 41 Priority Habitat in the Dorset Natural Landscape and heritage coast is safeguarded by a Tree Preservation Order confirmed in 1991 investigations revealed that individuals linked to Weymouth Park Ltd directed a felling that resulted in over half a hectare of protected woodland illegally cleared in January 2023 This was far more than the Forestry Commission’s permission to thin 30% of the trees the company was fined a record £30,000 by Weymouth Magistrates' Court for breaching the licence Weymouth Park Ltd has now been ordered to replant 1,100 trees per hectare with native and ecologically suitable species including oak The company has until March 2026 - the end of the next planting season - to complete the work or face further punishment Cllr Shane Bartlett said: “This is about accountability and protecting Dorset’s natural heritage “Fleet Wood is an irreplaceable part of our landscape We expect Weymouth Park Ltd to deliver on their obligation.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. is located in near the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery car park It had been assessed as dying and a risk to the public by tree experts employed by the company’s owner Mitchells & Butlers Enfield Council reported the matter to the Metropolitan Police earlier and said they were treating it as criminal damage It has also put an emergency preservation order in place on the base of the stump Environmental campaigners and locals decried the felling as “devastating” and compared it to the felling the Sycamore Gap tree in 2023 Mitchells & Butlers defended the decision saying it acted on the advice of employed tree experts But the Woodland Trust has argued that the old tree was still an important habitat with ancient oaks supporting biodiversity like endangered dead wood beetles Woodland Trust senior conservation adviser for trees said: “This is the most shocking fell I think I’ve ever seen in more than a decade working with ancient trees this is ecologically much more significant than the Sycamore Gap – and certainly a more irreplaceable tree “Ancient oaks are particularly rich in biodiversity with habitats that take centuries to develop They simply can’t be replaced by younger trees and can’t be replaced quickly.” He added that the development of decaying tree habitats are a “normal and healthy part of a tree’s lifecycle – especially in the ancient phase “Some of the biodiversity associated with ancient trees is amongst the most threatened in Europe,” he said Enfield resident and secretary of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group said local people wanted justice for the old oak “The tree belonged to Enfield and to our national heritage and we want guarantees the other trees here are being protected properly.” “Enfield Council cares deeply about protecting trees and green spaces in the borough,” he said “The council was not informed of this incident until last week Our teams immediately carried out a full site inspection to assess the damage after receiving reports of the damage done to the tree “We are treating the matter as criminal damage and have reported it to the police We’ve now placed a legal protection (Tree Preservation Order) on the tree and are looking at ways to help it grow back.” It comes as the Tree Council and Forest Research published a report on Monday which called for a “robust and effective system” of protections as part of a wider action plan to protect England’s most important trees in the wake of the Sycamore Gap tree felling A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised that it caused a serious health and safety risk “This was an essential action to protect our employees and guests our specialist arboriculture contractors made the assessment that the split and dead wood posed a serious health and safety risk and advised that the tree was unsafe and should be removed “We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly allowing us to act before anyone was harmed.” Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know... Enfield Council says it is "treating the matter as criminal damage" but Sky News has been told by Toby Carvery the tree posed "a potential health and safety risk". Sky News understands the Met Police found no evidence of criminality and has closed its investigation. The landmark tree was cut down seemingly overnight in September 2023 Two men have gone on trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of cutting down the landmark tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland “in an act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage.” are each charged with two counts each of criminal damage on September 28 2023 One of these relates to the famous tree, and the other to the Roman-built wall which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. On Tuesday, prosecutor Richard Wright KC outlined to jurors how the defendants are alleged to have travelled from their homes in Cumbria to Sycamore Gap to chop down the tree in the middle of the night. Here is an alleged timeline of the events leading up to the felling of the tree: 10.02am – Graham sends message to Carruthers saying: “Big storm tonight we might get onto storm damage get saws warmed up” 5.20pm – Walker takes a picture of the Sycamore Gap tree, still standing 10.23pm – Carruthers’ phone rings Graham’s phone for one minute and 18 seconds. Prosecutors say this is the last contact between them because after this they were travelling together to Sycamore Gap 11.35-11.38pm – Graham’s phone picked up at cell sites on the A689 between Carlisle and Brampton. 11.37pm – Graham’s Range Rover captured by an ANPR camera at Brampton 11.41pm – Graham’s phone ‘detaches’ from the network. Prosecutors say it was deliberately disconnected 11.55pm – CCTV camera at the Twice Brewed Inn captures vehicle headlights travelling up and then making a left-hand turn towards the Steel Rigg Car Park, used by visitors to Sycamore Gap 12.32am – A video is made on Graham’s phone showing the sound of a chainsaw, followed by the sound of a tree falling 12.34am – Photograph taken on Graham’s iPhone which prosecutors say shows the outline of the felled tree 12.58am – CCTV camera at the Twice Brewed Inn shows vehicle headlights again, this time going the opposite way. 1.18am – Graham’s Range Rover captured by ANPR camera at Brampton again, this time travelling west back towards Carlisle 1.26am – Range Rover captured on ANPR camera. Three minutes later Carruthers’ partner sends him a video of a child being bottle fed. He replies: “I’ve got a better video than that.” Eight minutes later, Graham’s phone sends the video of the tree being felled to Carruthers’ phone 1.28am – Graham’s phone reconnects to the network 2am – Photographs and two short videos taken on Graham’s mobile phone, at his home, show a piece of wood, next to a chainsaw, in the boot of his Range Rover 9.46am – Police receive a report that the tree has been damaged. The investigation begins 10.20am – Carruthers sends Graham an image of Facebook comments, with one circled that says: “Judging by the quality of the cut and size of tree I would say whoever it was has knowledge of how to fell large trees.” They discuss another comment from a man called Kevin Hartness saying: “Some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour.” Carruthers sends another voice note to Graham saying: “I’d like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night hmm I don’t think he’s got the minerals.” 7.02pm – Graham sends another voice note to Carruthers saying: “It’s on f****** Sky News as we speak.” Prosecutors say this is one of numerous messages between the pair that day “revelling” in what they had done Graham and Carruthers arrested and interviewed. Police find two chainsaws, and a chainsaw blade and cover at Graham’s house Graham and Carruthers arrested and interviewed again. Carruthers’ property searched and a chainsaw is found Graham and Carruthers are charged with criminal damage. They both later plead not guilty. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Sycamore Gap tree felled","description":"The felled Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland","caption":"The felled Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) The felled Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) We use cookies to help improve our service and give a better experience to you You can agree to cookies or go to the settings and change your preferences You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by following the 'Cookies' link in the footer The process of demolishing of Sir Godfrey Thomson Court which consists of a group of six blocks of flats and is expected to take between three and four months to complete The clearing of the site of the former homes is being celebrated as a major step forward in the redevelopment of Felling as the land will be used to build new good quality homes Cabinet Member for Housing at Gateshead Council "The regeneration of Felling Town Centre is a key priority for the council Sir Godfrey Thomson Court was no longer a desirable place to live and we have recognised the need to modernise the housing offer in Felling The new homes built on the site will be affordable and meet the modern needs and aspirations of our residents A public consultation on the proposals for the site will follow later this year" To help minimise the disruption to local residents the council has appointed specialist demolition firm who are deconstructing Sir Godfrey Thomson Court in a controlled way "We are proud to be working alongside Gateshead Council on improving the prosperity of Felling Given the proximity of Sir Godfrey Thomson Court to nearby homes we are taking a very considered approach to demolition Each structure will be stripped of all internal fixtures and fittings Work will progress with the careful and controlled mechanical demolition of the building safely demolishing the structure piece by piece Controls will be in place to control the noise dust and debris created by the process."  The redevelopment of the site of Sir Godfrey Thomson Court is the council's latest step in the regeneration of Felling with the planned demolition of Crowhall Towers to follow later in the year "With both sites adjacent to the town centre by replacing redundant housing with desirable new homes we'll not only improve the appearance of the immediate area but we'll also bring residents back to the heart of Felling The town has huge potential as place to live and work and we are committed to working with local residents to help realise this vision." Further details regarding the public consultation on the proposals for the site will be shared by the council soon Gateshead Now is a collection of the latest news from Gateshead Council A Tree Preservation Order has been placed on an up to 500-year-old tree in Whitewebbs Wood News | London A centuries old oak tree in Enfield has been hacked down by a Toby Carvery causing uproar among local residents and conservationists. Enfield Council demanded police investigate the felling it considered “criminal damage”, after receiving reports on April 3 that an ancient tree in Whitewebbs Wood was found to have been cut down Experts carried out a full investigation of the site to assess the damage and a Tree Preservation Order has now been placed on the tree to protect it from any further damage referred to as the ‘Guy Fawkes Oak’ due to its proximity to the Whitewebbs House where the Gunpowder Plot was planned is thought to have been in the top 100 of London's 600,000 oak trees in terms of its size before it was cut down Enfield Council released a statement earlier today to confirm they had reported the the matter to police It has now emerged that the owners of a nearby Toby Carvery felled the tree believing it was a “health and safety risk” A Toby Carvery spokesperson said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised that it caused a serious health and safety risk and so this was an essential action to protect our employees and guests to which we have a duty of care “We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met […] We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly They added: “We are grateful to our specialist arboriculture contractors for warning us of this potential health and safety risk had decreed that the tree — which stood near the pub’s car park — was dead and that the only course of action was to cut it down But other experts have said the tree “could have lived for another century or more.” the ancient tree has been listed in the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory as a Pedunculate oak situated in a public park with open access Met Police drops investigation into Enfield ancient oak tree felling Khan confirms plan for almost 300 affordable homes next to hospital London's Sycamore Gap moment is a wake-up call: we must get radical to protect trees Meal2Deal: on a mission to make food poverty history Lawrence-Thor Stephen, of the London-based tree care company Thor’s Trees condemned the cutting down of this “irreplaceable” tree which he said was of “high ecological value” He told The Standard: “This is probably the oldest oak tree in the area and is estimated to be between 300 to 500-years-old although our initial assessment suggests it is nearer 500-years-old “Its of very high ecological value and very important to wildlife and because it’s so old it has a very niche habitat “Some of the insects living in the tree have been there for hundreds of years and they can only exist in those trees There’s over 1,700 species of vertebrates and some of them require a particular type of dead wood.” Mr Stephen said the tree had stood for hundreds of years as a “testament to the richness of Enfield’s natural heritage” and described the felling as a “loss of a national treasure” He claims it had greater ecological value than the Sycamore Gap tree near Hadrian’s Wall which was illegally felled in 2023 an ecology expert said the tree could have lived another hundred years and described the felling as “the worst example I’ve ever seen of inappropriate tree surgery” No one has seen this kind of destruction before which has been advocating for legal protections for the country's oldest and most important trees said: "It is very unusual to see the felling of an oak tree of this size and age Legally protected status for trees like the Whitewebbs Oak is long overdue "This issue has widespread public support and is an open goal for the government to act upon." Local residents have launched a petition calling for an expedited survey of all trees in the park aiming to identify those eligible for Tree Preservation Orders said he was “devastated” by the loss of the oak tree which “belonged to Enfield and to our national heritage” “I am personally devastated,” he told The Standard “We want answers and we want guarantees the other trees here are being protected properly." Enfield resident Sam Gracie Tillbrook added : “This ancient oak is monumental; visiting it in person having witnessed so much over its lifespan of up to 500 years I can't imagine what type of person would decimate a tree like this “An ancient oak can support over 2000 species meaning that thousands of living beings have just lost their home “We must save and protect our vital and fundamental supports for life The ancient oak tree sat on land owned by the council that was leased to Mitchell &Butlers the pub company that operates the nearby Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery An earlier statement from the leader of Enfield Council Cllr Ergin Ebil, before Toby Carvery’s admission, read: “Enfield Council cares deeply about protecting trees and green spaces in the borough “We were recently made aware of the felling of an ancient oak tree in Whitewebbs Wood “The Council was not informed of this incident until last week We have now placed a legal protection (Tree Preservation Order) on the tree and are looking at ways to help it grow back “We will work closely with the police as they continue their investigation into this matter.” said in a join statement: “This is a deeply concerning development The tree that was felled is of real significance and its loss is enormously distressing “We need to understand why such a precious oak was left unprotected why there was no Tree Protection Order and how this criminal damage will be pursued and the perpetrators brought to justice “Crucially, the Council also needs to make clear how it will ensure that this is never allowed to happen again This is another reminder of how precious the ancient woodland in Whitewebbs is and why it should be protected from unnecessary development.” called for a "robust and effective system" of protections as part of a wider action plan to protect England's most important trees in the wake of the Sycamore Gap tree felling in September 2023 The trial of the two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree is due to take place later this month in Newcastle Crown Court The Woodland Trust cited support for its Living Legends petition that was handed to Downing Street with 100,000 signatures in November and the Heritage Trees Private Members Bill which was introduced in the House of Lords by Baroness Young in 2023 The legislation proposes the introduction of a list of nationally important heritage trees and a preservation order that could be used to promote the protection of ancient and important trees Oak trees are valuable for UK wildlife with the ability to support more than 2,300 species as sequestering planet-heating carbon from the atmosphere Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications London student nurse's roommate charged with her murder in Texas after fatal stabbing 'in row over cat' Roommate charged after London student nurse stabbed to death in Texas Residents joined local agencies at a community 'spring clean-up' event in Felling which aimed to promote community cohesion in the area A total of 10 skips were filled with waste from households yesterday (3 March) while advice and guidance from local agencies was offered to residents without appointment throughout the day at the Salvation Army on Sunderland Road This included the opportunity to chat with and raise concerns to the council's housing services the Neighbourhood Policing Team and representatives from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service The event was organised by the council in collaboration with the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Project Shield is a force-wide initiative to tackle crime in hotspot areas across six local authorities The project also supports community confidence with aim of driving down anti-social behaviour where it is most prevalent in the region Chair of the Gateshead Community Safety Board said: "The clean-up event was a great way to show how our residents and partner agencies can make a positive difference for our neighbourhoods "Pride in an area has a huge influence on anti-social behaviour particularly in the hotspots identified by Project Shield By providing skips for spring cleaning and a drop-in session at the Salvation Army community hub our partners were able to learn more about the issues impacting our residents and what we can be doing to improve our offer of support we hope this will deter anti-social behaviour and raise awareness of the work our partners do to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities." said: "It's important that residents see us all working together to help make them feel safe and this event in Gateshead was a perfect example of the council "The community spirit shining through was so good to see - with us all doing our bit towards shared goals around safer "This is just one part of a wider scope of work being delivered through Project Shield which I have funded to support extra patrols and engagement in areas of key focus - giving the area a boost - and making a noticeable difference for local people." More about reporting anti-social behaviour Northern CorrespondentWednesday April 30 2025 The TimesVideo showing the moment that the Sycamore Gap tree crashed to the ground allegedly taken by the men accused of illegally felling it found on an iPhone 13 belonging to Daniel Graham had to be digitally enhanced by police after being taken in the dark shortly after midnight on September 28 Photographs and two short videos also taken on Graham’s phone showed a wedge of wood next to a chainsaw in the boot of the defendant’s Range Rover which the prosecution argued may have been taken as a “trophy” The phone was seized from a jacket pocket at Graham’s caravan when he was arrested on October 31 As a direct action to send a message to anyone who unlawfully removes protected trees in the city Portsmouth City Council’s planning enforcement team have replaced two trees at the cost of the person responsible the Council served a Tree Replacement Notice following the felling of two trees on Victoria Road North which were protected by a tree preservation order (TPO) This notice required the planting of two healthy trees in the same location of those that were felled the Council has exercised its statutory powers to carry out the necessary tree replacements and have planted two Lime trees The costs associated with these works will be recovered from the person responsible for the felling Councillor Hugh Mason Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development said: “Our priority is to protect our environment and amenity in the city It is unlawful to destroy trees protected by a Tree Protection Order I am pleased to see that direct action by our planning enforcement team was taken to send a clear message that the felling of protected trees is not acceptable.” Portsmouth City Council planning enforcement team contracted Colas to prepare the groundworks and Gristwood and Toms Limited to replace the trees A TPO is a written order which makes it an offence to cut down or destroy a tree protected by the order without the Council’s permission TPO’s are used to protect trees that have a significant visual impact on the environment Anyone wanting to fell a protected tree can only do so by seeking formal planning consent from the Local Planning Authority and replacement trees are usually sought as compensation For more information visit Portsmouth City Council’s Tree Works and Tree Preservation Orders webpage We use some essential cookies to make this website work These cookies tell us how you use the website and help us to make improvements Read our cookie and privacy policy Jurors have been shown footage during the trial of Daniel Graham Email: hwsupport@haymarket.com Register Subscribe Subscribe Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers kept a wedge of the felled tree as a ‘trophy’ Two men filmed themselves chopping down the famous Sycamore Gap tree before “revelling in” their infamy when news broke of the irreparable damage to one of the country’s most treasured landmarks Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are also accused of keeping a wedge of the trunk as a trophy from the destruction of the tree in a dip on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland on the morning of 28 September 2023 The pair are alleged to have driven from Carlisle to the Sycamore Gap to chop down the tree with a chainsaw Prosecutors say one man cut across the trunk while the other recorded the act on a mobile phone They then sent messages to each other the next day about the story going “wild” and “viral” with prosecutors saying they were “excited” about what they had done Mr Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Mr Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are each charged with two counts of criminal damage – one to the tree and one to the ancient Roman-built wall which is a Unesco world heritage site Opening the trial to jurors at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday prosecutor Richard Wright KC said the Sycamore Gap tree had stood for over a century in the Northumberland National Park For live updates on the second day of the trial at Newcastle Crown Court - click here Mr Wright told jurors: “By sunrise on Thursday September 28, the tree had been deliberately felled with a chainsaw in an act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage.” The court heard Mr Graham and Mr Carruthers are accused of travelling together, in Mr Graham’s Range Rover, from the Carlisle area where they lived towards Sycamore Gap before parking, walking for around 20 minutes to the tree and cutting it with a chainsaw. Mr Wright told the jury: “Though the tree had grown for over a hundred years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes.” On driving back, Mr Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner, before replying “I’ve got a better video than that”, Mr Wright told the jury. Minutes later, the video was sent from Mr Graham’s phone to Mr Carruthers’s phone, he added. Jurors heard that a photo and two videos were found on Mr Graham’s phone from 2am that day showing a piece of wood next to a chainsaw in the boot of his Range Rover. “Not content with filming the cutting down of the tree or photographing the aftermath, the prosecution will suggest that the defendants took the wedge of the tree from the scene, perhaps as some sort of trophy,” said Mr Wright. The court heard that at the time Mr Graham and Mr Carruthers were “friends who were regularly in each other’s company”. Mr Graham lived in Carlisle and had a groundwork company called D M Graham Groundworks while Mr Carruthers told police during an interview he worked in property maintenance and mechanics. The trial heard data from cell sites and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras showed Mr Graham’s phone and vehicle were together, travelling towards Sycamore Gap on the night that it was felled, while CCTV footage from the Twice Brewed Inn captured vehicle headlights making a left turn towards the Steel Rigg car park, which is used by people visiting Sycamore Gap, at 11.55pm. A video recovered from Mr Graham’s iPhone was shown to the jury, with Mr Wright telling them it was “extremely dark” but that they would hear “the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw, and a tree falling”. The following morning, as the news broke, the defendants shared social media posts about it with each other, with Mr Graham saying to Mr Carruthers “here we go”. Jurors were played a voice note from Mr Carruthers to Mr Graham saying: “Someone there has tagged like ITV News, BBC News, Sky News, like news, news, news. I think it’s gonna go wild.” Another voice note from Mr Graham to Mr Carruthers said: “Jeffrey [a name Carruthers uses] it’s gone viral. It is worldwide. It will be on ITV News tonight.” Mr Wright told jurors: “They are loving it, they’re revelling in it. This is the reaction of the people that did it. They still think it’s funny, or clever, or big.” Mr Wright said in the following days “message after message” about the Sycamore Gap story were shared between them or screenshot and saved by Mr Graham, showing they were “gathering news of their infamy”. The court heard Mr Graham and Mr Carruthers’s “once close friendship appears to have unravelled”, with each of them now apparently blaming the other. Mr Wright said he understood Mr Graham will claim Mr Carruthers and another man are to blame, while Mr Carruthers will say he was not present when the tree was cut down. Mr Wright said: “Their once close friendship appears to have unravelled, perhaps as the public revulsion at their behaviour became clear to them.” jury told","description":"Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers kept a wedge of the felled tree as a ‘trophy’ admitted he knew how to cut down trees and owned chainsaws but said he was not trained to bring down anything as large as the famous sycamore beside Hadrian’s Wall each deny two counts of causing criminal damage to the tree and the wall overnight on 28 September 2023 Newcastle Crown Court heard Graham told police in an interview that he thought he was being “fixed up” and mentioned a “fake profile” and a “p***y down the road” when asked with whom he was in dispute He told police there had been an altercation when his friend Carruthers was assaulted accusing him and Carruthers of felling the Sycamore Gap tree He said: “It was all false f****ng shite he replied: “Obviously it’s not finished because I’m f****** in here.” Jurors have been shown mobile phone footage allegedly showing the moment the men used a chainsaw to fell the sycamore Prosecutors say photographs and two short videos taken on Graham’s phone showed a piece of wood next to a chainsaw in the boot of his Range Rover after they travelled to the Northumberland landmark in the dark during Storm Agnes the court heard neither the chainsaw nor the alleged trophy have been found The jury has been told the defendants now appeared to blame each other and their once-close friendship has “unravelled” The court heard Graham told police in an interview he was being framed for the crime as part of a dispute with someone “stirring the pot” and insisted: “That Sycamore Gap’s got nothing to do with me.” “I have no reason on this planet to go and fell this f***ng tree it’s a shock but not a surprise.” When the police asked him if he denied being responsible for the crime it was not me stood by the tree with the chainsaw.” The court heard he also told police: “I have never been a grass and I’m not going to f***ng start now” Carruthers told police he didn’t remember what he had been doing on the night the Sycamore Gap tree had been felled He told officers he did not own a chainsaw and had not used one for months which would probably have been on a fencing job Carruthers said: “If I’m honest I’m not really a fan of them because they’re nasty things.” He told police he had never felled a tree before saying: “If someone said ‘there’s a tree and there’s a saw He went on to say: “I wouldn’t be keen doing it I wouldn’t fancy that – I’ll stick with spanners.” Prosecutor Rebecca Brown told jurors Graham was first arrested at his home at Millbeck Stables Two chainsaws were seized from a work shed along with a mobile phone inside a jacket pocket hanging in a caravan Carruthers was first arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on the same date at the caravan where he was living at The Old Fuel Depot at Kirkbride Airfield Read more from Sky News:On the street with elite police unit tackling knife crimeBody of teenager recovered from lake Ms Brown said the two men were arrested for a second time on 3 November 2023 when a chainsaw was found in a shipping container at the Old Fuel Depot site But none of the chainsaws recovered are said to be the one used in felling the Sycamore Gap tree The court heard Carruthers’s father’s house in Wigton “The reason for the search was to look for outstanding property namely a chainsaw and a wedge from the tree,” Ms Brown said She said the house was “extremely cluttered with access to most rooms difficult because of this” and there was no sign of any chainsaws or a wedge from a tree The prosecutor told the court the house was also searched for chainsaw parts clothing stained in silver paint and boots Jurors were told that forensic video analyst Emiliano Polito was instructed to compare photos and videos on Graham’s phone showing a piece of wood and a large chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle – taken at 2am on 28 September 2023 – with images taken by a scenes of crime officer of Graham’s Range Rover at his property Ms Brown said Mr Polito conducted a vehicle comparison and found that “there is no doubt that vehicle X (the vehicle in the images and videos) and the recovered vehicle (Graham’s Range Rover) are the same vehicle” Tel: 01377 828 121  Email: info@greatdriffieldradio.co.uk Privacy Policy | Competition Terms | Contact us Daniel Graham refused to comment in police interview when asked about the footage showing the chunk of a tree and a chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle A man accused of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree told police he had been “fixed up” as officers searching his home discovered a phone with a video showing a wedge of wood in his car boot Groundworker Daniel Graham, 39, told officers he was being framed for the crime as part of a dispute with someone “stirring the pot” Speaking in his first police interview Mr Graham denied cutting down the sycamore claiming he was not trained to fell anything as large as the famous tree that stood beside Hadrian’s Wall Prosecutors told the jury photographs and two short videos found on Mr Graham's phone on the day of his arrest showed a piece of wood next to a chainsaw in the boot of his Range Rover prosecutor Richard Wright KC suggested that Mr Graham and his co-accused Adam Carruthers took a wedge of the Sycamore Gap tree “perhaps as some sort of trophy” Mr Graham, of Carlisle, and Mr Carruthers, a mechanic from Wigton, Cumbria, each deny two counts of causing criminal damage to both the tree and Hadrian’s Wall, which the sycamore hit as it came down on the night of 27 September 2023. The prosecution said the pair travelled from Carlisle to the Northumberland landmark, where one used a chainsaw to fell the tree while the other filmed it on Mr Graham’s mobile phone. Jurors on Thursday were told that forensic video analyst Emiliano Polito had “no doubt” the vehicle in the video showing a piece of wood and chainsaw in the boot – taken in the hours after the Sycamore Gap was felled – was Mr Graham’s Range Rover. The video was on Mr Graham’s phone, the prosecution said, which was found inside a jacket pocket hanging in a caravan during a search of the suspect’s home following his arrest on 31 October 2023. Two chainsaws were also seized from a work shed. During police interview on the day of his arrest, Mr Graham told officers he thought he was being “fixed up” and mentioned a “fake profile” and a “p*key down the road” when asked with whom he was in dispute. He told police there had been an altercation in which his friend Mr Carruthers was assaulted, and Facebook messages later appeared, accusing the pair of felling the Sycamore Gap tree. “Someone stirring the pot,” Mr Graham told officers. When asked if the dispute had finished, he replied: “Obviously it’s not finished because I’m f****** in here.” The jury also heard how Mr Graham had 11 vehicles connected to his business. He told police in an interview that he did not know if anyone had been using his Range Rover on the night the Sycamore Gap tree came down. He also told police that he would lend his mobile phone to other people. In a second interview, when asked if he filmed the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree on his mobile, and when questioned on the video and photograph showing a chunk of tree and chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle, he answered “no comment”. The jury heard that Mr Carruthers was also first questioned by police on 31 October 2023. He told police he did not remember what he had been doing on the night the Sycamore Gap tree had been felled, but he had probably been helping his partner look after their newborn baby. Asked if he had felled a tree before, Mr Carruthers replied: “If someone said ‘there’s a tree and there’s a saw, cut that down,’ I’d have a go but I’ve never done it.” He added: “I wouldn’t be keen doing it, I wouldn’t jump at the chance if I’m honest, like. I wouldn’t fancy that – I’ll stick with spanners.” Jurors heard that despite the police undertaking extensive searches, the chainsaw the two men allegedly used to cut down the tree and a wedge of the trunk prosecutors say they took were never found. A prosecutor said Tuesday that two men embarked on a “moronic mission” to cut down the famous Sycamore Gap tree in northern England in an “act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage.” revered for its symmetrical perch between two hills along ancient Hadrian’s Wall damaging the stone wall as it crashed to the ground the discovery of the fallen tree reverberated across the U.K and caused a national uproar “Though the tree had grown for over 100 years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes,” prosecutor Richard Wright told jurors in opening statements at Newcastle Crown Court Wright outlined the evidence against Daniel Graham who have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded 620,000 pounds ($831,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at 1,100 pounds Wright said one of the men used a chainsaw to expertly fell the tree in Northumberland National Park while the other filmed the act using a phone As they returned to their homes afterwards in Graham's Range Rover Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner and replied “I've got a better video than that,” Wright said the only people in the world who knew the tree had been felled were the men who had had cut it down,” Wright said “And the only people in the world who had access to the video were the men who had filmed themselves in the act of cutting down the tree: the defendants Graham and Carruthers.” The tree was far from Britain’s biggest or oldest. But the way its graceful canopy filled the saddle in the hills along a stretch of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire had attracted generations of followers. The wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves,” and was a big draw for tourists, landscape photographers and people taking selfies. A criminal prosecution for cutting down a tree is rare and a prison sentence could be unprecedented if there's a conviction, said Sarah Dodd, an attorney who specializes in tree law. The maximum penalty for criminal damage is 10 years in jail. “I don’t think anybody has got a custodial sentence for the illegal felling of a tree yet in the U.K.,” said Dodd. “That’s on the table because of the gravity of the situation. And when I say gravity, I think value and also the shock of the nation.” Before the tree was cut down, about 80% of the inquiries at the main visitors' center of the Northumberland National Park were from people planning to walk to the tree, the park’s chief executive, Tony Gates, said. "The tree is part of our Northumbrian identity. It’s something that everybody grows up knowing about,” said Catherine Cape, who owns a guest cabin nearby. “For the people in the villages around the tree, who live near the tree, it was a source of great pride.” The felled sycamore was removed with a crane and taken to a National Trust property for storage. A section of the trunk went on display at the park visitor center last year and seeds from the tree that were used to grow saplings are being donated for planting around the U.K. We provide bulletins and programmes for radio stations around the world. Click below to find out more. Daniel Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, will go before a jury at Newcastle Crown Court. The defendants are jointly charged with causing £622,191 of criminal damage to the much-photographed Northumberland tree. They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the tree when it was felled overnight on September 28 2023. he made the commitment in the wake of what he conceded was “an incredibly tough night” in the july general e... For breaking news and details of our latest offers If you are interested in receiving bulletins from Radio News Hub or would simply like to find out more please fill in the form below. We operate on annual contracts - spread the cost is available. Please check this box if you are happy for us to store your details for future contact Radio News Hub Limited, 6-8 York Place, Leeds LS1 2DS has been described as a ‘national treasure’ A centuries-old oak tree that has “more ecological value than the Sycamore Gap” has been cut down by the owners of a nearby Toby Carvery Reports were made to Enfield Council in London earlier this month over the felling of an ancient oak tree in Whitewebbs Wood, a woodland in the north of the capital with locals having decried the incident as “devastating” which was thought to be in the top 100 of London’s 600,000 oak trees in terms of its size sat on land owned by the council that was leased to Mitchell and Butlers the hospitality group that operates the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery in the park A spokesperson for Mitchell and Butlers said the tree was cut down after the company was advised by arboriculture experts that it caused a “serious health and safety risk” to whom we have a duty of care,” the spokesperson said “We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met,” they said “We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly allowing us to act before anyone was harmed." Lawrence-Thor Stephen, CEO of London-based tree care company Thor’s Trees said the 3 April felling was a “loss for Enfield” and “a loss for the nation” The tree is estimated to be up to 500 years old it is more ecologically valuable than the roughly 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree near Hadrian’s Wall “I can’t believe this has happened,” he said The tree is a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) with a girth of 6.1m, and it is officially verified on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory. Mr Stephen told The Independent that thousands of species of birds, bats and insects rely on the tree to survive. “When an ancient tree falls, it’s nature that’s wounded – and a community,” he said. “But from this, we have the chance to build something better: stronger protections, greater awareness, and a renewed commitment to the trees that quietly support all life around us. “Let’s make sure this story is not just one of loss but a turning point for action.” The Woodland Trust, which has been advocating for legal protections for the country’s oldest and most important trees, called the incident “devastating”. The trust cited support for its Living Legends petition that was handed to Downing Street with 100,000 signatures in November and the Heritage Trees Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords by Baroness Young in 2023. The legislation proposes the introduction of a list of nationally important heritage trees and a preservation order that could be used to promote the protection of ancient and important trees. In a statement issued before Mitchell and Butlers revealed it was behind the tree being cut down, Ergin Erbil, leader of Enfield Council, said that while the incident occurred on 3 April, the council wasn’t made aware until last week, prompting it to carry out an immediate inspection of the site. In that statement, he said the incident had been reported to the police and a tree preservation order was put in place to protect it from further damage. The Metropolitan Police confirmed before Mitchell and Butlers’ admission that it had received a report from Enfield Council. Both the police and the council have since been contacted for further comment. govt and politics"},{"score":0.707305,"label":"/society/crime"},{"score":0.646164,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.601511,"label":"/law