Sycamore Gap: Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers due to be sentenced over Northumberland tree felling
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, were found guilty of criminal damage in relation to the felling and Hadrian's Wall, which was damaged when the Sycamore fell on it.
Judge Mrs Justice Lambert remanded the pair in custody following a trial in May this year and warned the pair they could face 'a lengthy period in custody'.
During the trial, Newcastle Crown Court heard the men drove for 40 minutes from the Carlisle area to the Sycamore Gap site, cutting down the tree in the early hours of Thursday 28 September 2023.
The court was shown a video, found on Graham's phone, which appeared to show the felling of the sycamore in the pitch black, before it fell backwards onto Hadrian's Wall.
It caused £622,191 of criminal damage to the tree as well as causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Both are owned by the National Trust.
The prosecution also claimed the men took a wedge from the tree as a trophy. It, and the chainsaw believed to have been used to cut the tree down, have never been found.
Graham, of Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court today.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Stab victim ‘gave grief' to murder-accused's friend over £20 debt, trial told
Hartle, also known as Charlie, was 17 at the time of the alleged attack. The defendant, of Station Road, Stanley, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place but denies murder. Marcus Coleman, a friend of Hartle's who was 'feet away' from the attack, went with two other friends and the defendant to buy cannabis from Mr Smedley that evening. Mr Coleman, who was 17 at the time but is now 18, denied that there was animosity between him and Mr Smedley because of an incident months earlier. Peter Joyce KC, defending Hartle, cross-examined Mr Coleman, who gave evidence from behind a screen at Derby Crown Court on Thursday, and said: 'Noah had been causing you… some grief about a £20 debt of cannabis a little while before.' The witness replied: 'It was a separate incident that happened months prior, it had nothing to do with this incident.' Mr Joyce said: 'I suggest it was on this night you saw Charlie for the first time in four months, that's when you told him about the problem with Noah. 'You told him that Noah was giving you grief. Noah had really annoyed you, irritated you, hacked you off.' Mr Coleman said it was 'not really a problem'. Mr Joyce said: 'There was no need at all for four of you to go and meet Noah was there? Unless there was a second purpose that required all four of you to go, namely to give him a bit of a slapping. 'For the next four hours the three of you are together at your home aren't you? The three of you instead spent between nine o'clock and one o'clock… doing a number of things. One, smoking weed. Two, talking about what had happened and, I suggest, agreeing your stories.' Mr Coleman replied: 'No sir.' Mr Joyce asked: 'Did you decide you would not say the three of you had a grudge against Noah?' The witness said no. Mr Coleman said: 'We weren't really talking about anything sir, we were shocked. We were trying to distract ourselves with the cannabis and I think I was on my PS5 at the time, trying to distract myself from the situation.' When asked why he left the scene with his friends after Hartle ran away instead of helping Mr Smedley, Mr Coleman said he was 'scared' and added: 'I still regret it to this day.' Mr Joyce said: 'You ran away from Noah in the opposite direction and you took a roundabout route to get away so you would not be seen. 'I'm going to suggest that the reason for all of that was that all four of you – you three and Charlie – had agreed earlier that Noah was to be given a bit of a slapping.' Mr Coleman replied: 'No, not true sir.' The trial continues.
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Boy who stabbed pupil to death tells jury he posed with knives after threats
The boy was shown a series of photos and video clips as he was giving evidence for a second day at Sheffield Crown Court, where he is on trial for the murder of Harvey Willgoose, also 15, at All Saints Catholic High School in the city in February. The images, which were found by police on the defendant's mobile phone, included him posing with a knife, an axe and a hammer. Harvey Willgoose was stabbed during a lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School (Jacob King/PA) The defendant told the jury he bought the axe at All Saints school, from another pupil. Asked by his barrister Gul Nawaz Hussain KC why he made these images, the boy said: 'They see the pictures, they're going to think 'I'll stay away from him, don't cause a problem with him'.' Mr Hussain asked him if he wanted to 'have a problem' or 'trouble' with anyone and he said he did not. The boy explained how, if someone had pictures of themselves with knives, 'they would be scared of the person'. Asked who he wanted to be scared of him, the boy said: 'People that cause problems for me.' He added: 'They wouldn't threaten me. They wouldn't try and cause problems with me.' The boy told the jury how he decided he wanted to carry a knife because he had been threatened by older teenagers who went to a school he attended previously. The boy told jurors: 'I know they carry knives. 'If they pulled a knife out, I could pull a knife out.' He said he thought the boys would use the weapons they carried but he said: 'I'd rather they ran away than have to use it.' The boy said: 'There are lots of people who had problems with me or said they would do things to me.' He said he was threatened online by teenagers who said things like: 'I'll stab you up.' The defendant said one boy said 'he would smoke me' and another said: ''I'll shank you up'.' The boy was asked about an incident in December 2024 when his mother reported to the school that she had found a weapon in his bag which turned out to be an axe. The defendant told the jury that he had arranged to buy a small knife from a student at All Saints but, when he turned up with an axe, he decided to buy that instead. He said he had wanted a knife for 'protection when I go out' and confirmed that the axe he bought at the school was in some of the photos the jury has seen. The defendant has admitted manslaughter but denies murder (Jacob King/PA) The jury has been shown CCTV footage of Harvey being stabbed in the courtyard at All Saints during the lunch break on February 3. The court has heard that the defendant, who cannot be named, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder. He has also admitted possession of a knife on school premises. Addressing the jury last week, Mr Hussain said: '(The defendant) did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone. 'The defence say (the defendant's) actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence, things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen.' The trial continues.
Western Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Boy who stabbed pupil to death tells jury he posed with knives after threats
The boy was shown a series of photos and video clips as he was giving evidence for a second day at Sheffield Crown Court, where he is on trial for the murder of Harvey Willgoose, also 15, at All Saints Catholic High School in the city in February. The images, which were found by police on the defendant's mobile phone, included him posing with a knife, an axe and a hammer. Harvey Willgoose was stabbed during a lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School (Jacob King/PA) The defendant told the jury he bought the axe at All Saints school, from another pupil. Asked by his barrister Gul Nawaz Hussain KC why he made these images, the boy said: 'They see the pictures, they're going to think 'I'll stay away from him, don't cause a problem with him'.' Mr Hussain asked him if he wanted to 'have a problem' or 'trouble' with anyone and he said he did not. The boy explained how, if someone had pictures of themselves with knives, 'they would be scared of the person'. Asked who he wanted to be scared of him, the boy said: 'People that cause problems for me.' He added: 'They wouldn't threaten me. They wouldn't try and cause problems with me.' The boy told the jury how he decided he wanted to carry a knife because he had been threatened by older teenagers who went to a school he attended previously. The boy told jurors: 'I know they carry knives. 'If they pulled a knife out, I could pull a knife out.' He said he thought the boys would use the weapons they carried but he said: 'I'd rather they ran away than have to use it.' The boy said: 'There are lots of people who had problems with me or said they would do things to me.' He said he was threatened online by teenagers who said things like: 'I'll stab you up.' The defendant said one boy said 'he would smoke me' and another said: ''I'll shank you up'.' The boy was asked about an incident in December 2024 when his mother reported to the school that she had found a weapon in his bag which turned out to be an axe. The defendant told the jury that he had arranged to buy a small knife from a student at All Saints but, when he turned up with an axe, he decided to buy that instead. He said he had wanted a knife for 'protection when I go out' and confirmed that the axe he bought at the school was in some of the photos the jury has seen. The defendant has admitted manslaughter but denies murder (Jacob King/PA) The jury has been shown CCTV footage of Harvey being stabbed in the courtyard at All Saints during the lunch break on February 3. The court has heard that the defendant, who cannot be named, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder. He has also admitted possession of a knife on school premises. Addressing the jury last week, Mr Hussain said: '(The defendant) did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone. 'The defence say (the defendant's) actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence, things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen.' The trial continues.
