Latest news with #CalumMeikle
The Sun
7 days ago
- The Sun
From bragging posts to iconic vid – the damning evidence that led to arrest of idiots who chopped down Sycamore Gap tree
THE two idiots who felled the historic Sycamore Gap tree have finally been jailed for their shocking crime. Now, we reveal the damning evidence that led to their conviction, from bragging posts to a shocking video of the chopping. 10 10 10 Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were jailed on Tuesday for four years and three months each. Detective Inspector Calum Meikle, who investigated the felling, said he knew he'd solved the crime when he saw the tree's "fantastically famous outline" on one of the perpetrator's phones. He revealed that officers were "tipped off" about Graham and Carruthers' involvement a few weeks after the shocking felling of the historic tree in September 2023. The tip-off stated that the pair of ground workers were responsible for chopping the tree down, even keeping a piece of the wood as a trophy. This led to the arrest of both men and seizing of their phones. Speaking to the Daily Mail, DI Meikle said a video recovered from Graham's device was incredibly dark, with details almost impossible to see. However, after sending it to be digitally enhanced, investigators discovered they had found evidence of the tree being destroyed. Gasps could be heard at Newcastle Crown Court as the now iconic grainy black and white video - accompanied by the sound of a revving chainsaw and cracking wood - was shown for the first time. DI Meikle said: "I'm always impressed with what our digital forensic units are able to achieve. "But, as you have seen from the video, as the person filming moves back, it shows us that fantastically famous outline (which) was undoubtedly the Sycamore Gap tree. Men who cut down iconic Sycamore Gap tree sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in jail "I was very pleased to have that evidence." Graham's phone also housed multiple other pieces of damning evidence, including photographs of a wedge of the tree trunk taken by the criminal as well as that of a chainsaw in the boot of his Range Rover. The pair of idiots not only chopped down the history tree but also damaged Hadrian's Wall during their "moronic mission". In just two minutes and 41 seconds, the two men chopped down the tree, which had stood next to the historic wall for more than a century. At their trial, the court heard how the pair had only recently admitted to responsibility for the felling in interviews with the Probation Service. They accepted they drove 30 miles through a storm to chop down the iconic landmark in the early hours of September 28, 2023. 10 10 10 Mrs Justice Christina Lambert said: "I can now be sure you, Adam Carruthers, were the person who felled the tree and you, Daniel Graham, assisted and encouraged him by driving there and back and not least by filming it on your phone." As they fled the scene, Carruthers forwarded the sick video to his partner. The wedge of the iconic tree - which was photographed in their vehicle - has never been found. Following their shocking crime, and as news broke of the vandalism, the pair shared social media posts about the tree, with Graham saying to Carruthers "here we go," as they "revelled" in reports of the crime. Although prosecutors said the friends had chopped the famous tree down for "a bit of a laugh," and suggested Carruthers was so obsessed with the Sycamore Gap that he wanted the wedge as a special souvenir for his newborn daughter, neither has offered any proper explanation for why they did what they did. This week, Carruthers claimed he had drunk a bottle of whisky and could barely remember chopping down the tree - although the judge said this was implausible due to the skill and coordination of the crime. Andrew Gurney, representing Carruthers, said he had made the admissions in a pre-sentence report. 10 10 10 He said: "He does wish to cleanse his conscience of what he has done. People want to know 'Why? Why did you conduct this mindless act?' "Unfortunately, it is no more than drunken stupidity. He felled that tree and it is something he will regret for the rest of his life. "There's no better explanation than that.' Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said there had been a 'high degree of planning and premeditation'. He said: "This was an expedition which required significant planning in terms of taking a vehicle, driving for about 40 minutes to a car park, taking with them appropriate specialist equipment, carrying the equipment for about 20 minutes' walk in each direction. 'The felling was carried out in a deliberate, professional way.' On the other side, Graham continued to blame his accomplice, insisting cutting the tree down had been Carruthers' "dream" and "his show" which he simply went along with. The criminal also claimed he was "shocked" that Carruthers had followed through with his plan.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The damning evidence that convicted 'moronic' Sycamore Gap tree duo: Arrogant pair thought they'd got away with tree felling that shocked the world.... but left vital clues
The police chief who investigated the felling of the Sycamore Gap today said he knew he'd solved the crime when he saw it's 'fantastically famous outline' filmed on one of the perpetrator's mobile phones. Detective Inspector Calum Meikle revealed officers were 'tipped off' about Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers' involvement a few weeks after the world famous tree was chopped down, in September 2023. The 'intelligence' stated the pair of ground workers were responsible and had kept part of the tree as a trophy. It led officers to arrest both men and seize their phones. Initially, Mr Meikle said, a two minute and 41 second video retrieved from Graham's device was 'all black.' But they sent it to be digitally enhanced and when it came back the film was 'shocking.' There were gasps in the courtroom at Newcastle Crown Court when the now iconic grainy black and white video, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a revving chainsaw and cracking wood, was shown for the first time. 'I'm always impressed with what our digital forensic units are able to achieve,' Mr Meikle told the Mail. 'But, as you have seen from the video, as the person filming moves back, it shows us that fantastically famous outline (which) was undoubtedly the Sycamore Gap tree. 'I was very pleased to have that evidence.' Photographs of a wedge of the tree trunk and a chainsaw in the boot of Graham's Range Rover were also recovered from his phone. Today Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, were jailed for four years and three months for felling the tree during a 'moronic mission' and damaging Hadrian's Wall in the process. The court heard the pair, both from Cumbria, had only recently admitted, in interviews with the Probation Service, that they were responsible. They now accepted they had driven 30 miles through a storm to chop down the iconic landmark, in the early hours of September 28, 2023. Mrs Justice Christina Lambert said: 'I can now be sure you, Adam Carruthers, were the person who felled the tree and you, Daniel Graham, assisted and encouraged him by driving there and back and not least by filming it on your phone.' Carruthers then forwarded the video to his partner as they fled the scene. They also took the pictures of the wedge, which has never been found. The following morning, when news broke of the vandalism, the pair shared social media posts about the tree with Graham saying to Carruthers 'here we go,' as they 'revelled' in news reports about the crime. Although prosecutors said the friends had chopped the famous tree down for 'a bit of a laugh,' and suggested Carruthers was so obsessed with the Sycamore Gap that he wanted the wedge as a special souvenir for his newborn daughter, neither has offered any proper explanation for why they did what they did. Today Carruthers claimed he had drunk a bottle of whisky and could barely remember felling the tree. But the judge said this was implausible because the act took skill and coordination. 'This was not the work of someone whose actions were significantly impaired through drink,' she said. Graham, in contrast, continued to blame his accomplice, insisting cutting the tree down had been Carruthers' 'dream' and 'his show' which he simply went along with. He also claimed he was 'shocked' when Carruthers went through with the plan. But Mrs Justice Lambert said the fact Graham filmed the felling and took photographs did not square with the behaviour of someone who was 'horrified and shocked' or was simply going along with Carruthers' plan. Instead the judge said both men were 'equally culpable.' They did it for 'sheer bravado' and also got 'some sort of thrill' out of the media coverage afterwards, she added. Mr Meikle said he understood why people were 'frustrated' by the lack of an explanation but said only Graham and Carruthers would be able to solve the mystery of their 'mindless thuggery.' 'As soon as anybody knows that I'm involved in this investigation, that's the first question they ask, they want to know why?' he added. 'That's something that we still don't fully understand. There are only two people that really will ever know. 'I certainly don't think that they fully understood the enormity of their actions. 'The local community are increasingly frustrated by the fact that they don't know why this has taken place, quite understandably. I am just happy to have delivered the two people that I know are responsible.' Mr Meikle said that the case could prompt Britain to re-examine the way trees are valued. 'I think this whole incident will raise further legislation because trees aren't afforded the same protection that an ancient monument gets,' he said. 'So whilst Hadrian's Wall is an ancient monument, the tree itself wasn't.' Graham and Carruthers were found guilty of causing £622,191 of criminal damage to the tree and £1,144 of damage to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco world heritage site owned by the National Trust. But Mr Meikle, who was asked to lead the inquiry for Northumbria Police because his father worked as a forester and he grew up with an understanding of the profession, insisted that what happened had far reaching consequences and, in many ways, was 'not just a (routine) criminal damage.' 'The tree means so much to so many people,' Mr Meikle added. 'That's why it will never be looked at as just a criminal damage or just a tree. 'It has been a very unique and very privileged role that I've held.' The sycamore had stood for more than 100 years and achieved worldwide fame when it was featured in the 1991 Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman film, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. Sycamore Gap timeline: How damage to the landmark tree unfolded – September 28, 2023 12.32am A video is made on Daniel Graham's phone showing the sound of a chainsaw, followed by the sound of a tree falling 9.46am Police receive a report that the Sycamore Gap tree has been damaged. The investigation begins – October 31, 2023 Graham and Adam Carruthers are arrested and interviewed. Police find two chainsaws, and a chainsaw blade and cover at Graham's house – November 3, 2023 Graham and Carruthers are arrested and interviewed again. Carruthers' property is searched and a chainsaw is found – April 30, 2024 Graham and Carruthers are charged with criminal damage. They both later plead not guilty. - April 28, 2025 The trial of Graham and Carruthers begins at Newcastle Crown Court - May 9, 2025 Graham and Carruthers are found guilty of cutting down the tree in an act of 'deliberate and mindless criminal damage' July 15, 2025 Graham and Carruthers sentenced The trial heard that the police investigation into the damage initially included people who had issues with the National Trust, and even a young boy who reported his brother. Opening the case to jurors, prosecutor Richard Wright KC said: 'Though the tree had grown for over a hundred years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes.' Graham and Carruthers were 'best of pals' at the time and regularly worked together felling trees. Graham's black Range Rover was picked up on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras between Carlisle and Sycamore Gap at night on September 27 2023, and returning early the next morning. His phone was traced to cell sites making the same journey. When police arrested the pair and searched Graham's phone, they found the video which showed the sycamore being cut down at 12.30am on September 28, that had also been sent to Carruthers. They also found photos and videos of the wedge and chainsaw in the boot of Graham's 4x4, although these have never been found. Messages and voice notes between Graham and Carruthers the next day showed them talking about the story going 'wild' and 'viral', referring to 'an operation like we did last night' and joking that damage looked like it had been done by a professional. A man named Kevin Hartness posted about the tree on Facebook, writing: 'Some weak people that walk this earth; disgusting behaviour.' Carruthers sent this post to Graham, and later sent a voice note in which he said: 'I'd like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night… I don't think he's got the minerals.' In August last year, Graham made an anonymous phone call to the police in an attempt to implicate his friend and save himself. Officers instantly recognised his voice as he told them that 'one of the lads that [did] it, Adam Carruthers,' had taken his chainsaws back home. The 'anonymous caller' said if police searched Carruthers' home and workshop they would find the saws and part of the felled tree, along with a shotgun and a pistol. No firearms, chainsaws or the tree wedge were found, however. On December 1, 2024, days before the trial was originally scheduled to begin, Graham took to Facebook to accuse Carruthers of felling the tree, posting a series of images of his former friend. 'I truly would not do it,' he wrote. 'It's my picture everywhere. Well, here's a picture of the man with [the] hidden face.' In a tense exchange with Mr Wright during his cross examination, Graham tried to justify turning on his friend. He said Carruthers and an associate had tried to intimidate him into taking the blame for cutting down the tree, insisting that the criminal justice system would be lenient towards him due to his mental health issues. He added: 'If someone is costing me money and affecting my business then I will f***ing grass. 'No doubt about it he [Carruthers] is the one holding the chainsaw. Adam felled the tree, I don't know 100 per cent who the other person was. 'I was annoyed about my business suffering through his actions.' To explain away number plate and phone site evidence against him, Graham insisted that Carruthers and an accomplice had taken his car, with his phone inside, and driven to the Sycamore Gap without his knowledge while he had been sleeping in his caravan. Graham and Carruthers, seen here in a court sketch, were arrested in connection with the felling of the tree in October 2023 Carruthers, for his part, did not directly accuse Graham of being involved in felling the tree. But he insisted that on the evening the tree was felled he had tried to take his partner and young children for a meal at the Metrocentre in Gateshead but turned back because their 11-day-old baby was unsettled. Jurors rejected these flimsy alibis and found the pair unanimously guilty. The iconic tree that captured the world's imagination: Sycamore Gap became a backdrop to Hollywood blockbuster and site of helicopter crash that nearly killed a national treasure Known to some as the Robin Hood Tree after its appearance in Kevin Costner's 1991 film, Sycamore Gap was one of the most photographed trees in the country. It stood next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland and is believed to have been planted in the early 18th century. It is said to have once stood alongside others but eventually became the only one left - making it especially photogenic. In Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the hero - played by Costner - is seen pulling leaves from the tree as he walks under it with the warrior Azeem, who is played by Morgan Freeman. The tree also featured in the music video for American star Bryan Adams' hit (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, which was the soundtrack for Costner's Robin Hood film. In 2003, the tree escaped damage when a helicopter that was filming documentary series British Isles - A Natural History crashed less than 100 feet away. The four onboard the aircraft were injured, but presenter Alan Titchmarsh, who was standing on the ground, narrowly escaped harm. Titchmarsh said at the time: 'I was pretty shaken and I was worried the copter was going to explode. The crew scrambled out and ran like hell.' An eyewitness added: 'Alan Titchmarsh was very lucky not to be hit. 'He was almost underneath the helicopter when it fell but jumped out of the way as it came down.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- The Independent
How a ‘single strand of intelligence' brought down the Sycamore Gap tree fellers
Letting out a sigh, the experienced police detective who brought the Sycamore Gap tree fellers to justice momentarily mulls over the question put to him before turning back to the journalist. 'What do you think?' he asks, before repeating himself to the half-a-dozen-or-so reporters in the room: 'What do you think of the value?' Detective Inspector Calum Meikle is giving a media briefing before the much-anticipated sentencing of Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham, after both were found guilty of cutting down the iconic tree that once stood tall on Hadrian's Wall. The smartly-dressed detective was in charge of the investigation that led to the conviction of the motley pair, and now he's being put on the spot on the value of criminal damage given prosecution in court; £622,191 to be exact. When another journalist in the featureless meeting room at Northumbria Police 's headquarters, on the outskirts of Newcastle, says he was shocked how high the figure was, Det Insp Meikle quickly responds 'were you?' Then, if anyone at the briefing needed an illustration on worth of the tree to the region, maybe to the world, the police officer, a son of a forester, delivers it. 'When you consider how famous that tree is, how much of a draw, it's on the Hadrian's Wall, it's just up from The Sill [Northumbria National Park visitor centre], people would visit for numerous reasons,' he says. 'For a lot of people, it means so much, so can you really realistically put a tangible value on something like that?' Det Insp Meikle might not openly say it, but there is a sense that this investigation mattered more than any other over his two decades in policing. With his father's line of work, running a private forestry company spanning the north of England, and his own knowledge of agricultural work, he was the perfect fit to lead the investigation. While the world reacted in horror, then anger, over the chopping down of the famous tree, Det Insp Meikle admits he was under pressure to deliver; there was also, he says, 'personal pride' involved. Every family or social event he went to, the same questions would be asked. 'I think it would be fair to say that none of us really anticipated just how big this was to become,' he reflects. 'I tried to put things to one side and make sure that I'm focused upon the task in hand.' The investigation started with two arrests; a 16-year-old boy and a man in his 60s were arrested, before both were later told they faced no further action. Then, around two weeks after the tree had been chopped down, a 'single strand of intelligence', probably a tip-off, came in. It named then-best friends Graham and Carruthers, and said they retained part of the tree. Attention turned to the pair, considering their 'capability and capacities', before automatic number plate recognition cameras linked a vehicle with the area around the Sycamore Gap tree. 'The intelligence bore fruit,' says Det Insp Meikle. Dawn raids were carried out on the pair's homes. Carruthers lived on a yard at an old fuel depot connected to RAF Kirkbride airfield. Graham lived in a caravan just a stone's throw from Hadrian's Wall near Carlisle. During the arrests, a mobile phone was discovered in one of Graham's clothes pockets. On it, officers found a grainy video - a key moment in the case against the pair. 'When we first found it, it was just a black video with sound. However, once we had that enhanced, that then provided us with the shocking images that we've all now seen,' says Det Insp Meikle. He adds: 'As you can see from the video itself, it's very apparent that as the person filming moves back, it shows us that fantastically famous outline of the tree and the stem that goes out to the right, and it is undoubtedly the Sycamore Gap tree, so... it was very pleasing to have that.' The pair were calm in police interviews, neither would admit their involvement in the cutting down of the tree. Carruthers later claimed that on the day of the damage, he had gone to a shopping centre an hour-and-a-half away with his newborn child and partner, before deciding to turn around and go back home. Graham said he had been 'stitched up'. But over the months that followed, as more evidence piled up against the pair, the pressure began to show. Graham even reported his friend to the police on the eve of the trial. As they both gave evidence in court, it was clear the friendship was no more. The jury didn't take long to find them guilty. 'Sitting and listening to what they were saying only confirmed to me that my job had been successfully completed,' says Det Inp Meikle. Job done, conviction sealed - but was there an ounce of frustration, no one still knows why they did it. Bets gone wrong, a grudge against the authority and the tree being taken as a 'trophy' for Carruthers' newborn are just some of the theories put forward. 'I try not to get personally frustrated,' says Det Con Meikle. 'I would say that the community, especially the local community, are increasingly frustrated in the fact that they don't know why this has taken place, quite understandably. 'I am just happy to have delivered the two people that I know are responsible.' Pushed on his own theory, Det Con Meikle remains professional and will not speculate. When one journalist suggests that, as the two defendants cut down trees for a living, the prize of the Sycamore Gap tree was too irresistible, the police officer does respond. 'I would counter that in the fact that if you're into that line of business, agriculture, you actually have a respect for nature and trees, so to then go and cut down one of the most famous trees would probably go very much against your line of work and your personal ethic.' What next for the pair? They face a lengthy time in jail, but what about their lives? 'I think it's dramatically changed their lives,' says Det Con Meikle. 'Going forward, it's up to them how they then make recompense for what they've done.' And what about the law, and the protection of trees? 'This whole incident will raise further legislation,' says Det Con Meikle. 'Because trees aren't afforded the same protection that an ancient monument does. So whilst Hadrian's wall is an ancient monument. The tree itself wasn't.' Graham and Carruthers were each jailed for four years and three months at Newcastle Crown Court on 15 July.
