Latest news with #Carruthers
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Vandals who cut down Sycamore Gap tree sentenced in England to more than 4 years in prison
LONDON — The vandals who cut down England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree were sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in prison for causing irreversible damage and serious distress. The tree stood for nearly 150 years before Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers set out on dark and stormy night to carry out what a prosecutor called a 'moronic mission' to fell the majestic sycamore, which crashed down onto Hadrian's Wall. Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, were each convicted of two counts of criminal damage — one for destroying the tree, the other for damaging the ancient wall. Justice Christina Lambert sentenced the pair each to four years and three months in prison during the hearing at Newcastle Crown Court. The tree, perched in a saddle between two hills, had been known to locals for its scenic setting, but became famous after a cameo in Kevin Costner's 1991 film 'Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.' It drew tourists, lovers, landscape photographers and those who spread the ashes of loved ones. It was voted English 'Tree of the Year' in 2016. The two men had long denied cutting down the tree, but changed their tune as they faced their fate. They both testified at trial that they had nothing to do with the vandalism, but a prosecutor said that they eventually admitted to the crime and blamed booze for the act. Prosecutor Richard Wright said that it was a 'fanciful proposition' that they didn't intend to cut down the tree along Hadrian's Wall or realize what they were doing until it was too late. 'The court can be sure they were sober, prepared and planned to do what they did,' Wright said. He said that the pair should serve prison sentences between 18 months and four years. The illegal felling in Northumberland National Park on Sept. 28, 2023, caused instant outrage and news quickly spread beyond the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire. It wasn't Britain's biggest or oldest tree, but the sycamore was prized for its picturesque setting, symmetrically planted between two hills along the wall that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 'This iconic tree can never be replaced,' Andrew Poad, general manager of the heritage and nature conservation charity National Trust, said in a statement read in court by a prosecutor. 'It belonged to the people. It was a totemic symbol for many; a destination to visit whilst walking Hadrian's Wall, a place to make memories, take photos in all seasons; but it was also a place of sanctuary.' One man wielded a chainsaw while the other captured the felling on grainy video on a cellphone. Prosecutors couldn't say who cut down the tree and who memorialized the senseless act, but both were equally culpable. In less than three minutes, the tree that had stood nearly 150 years crashed to the ground. Carruthers will have to carry the burden for his actions like a 'form of personal penance,' attorney Andrew Gurney said. 'It was no more than drunken stupidity,' Gurney said, 'and something he would regret for the rest of his life.' At trial, the two men — once the best of friends who have fallen out since their arrests — testified they were at their respective homes on the night of the crime and downplayed their expertise working with chainsaws. But evidence shown to the jury implicated both men. Graham's Range Rover was near the tree around the time it fell. Video of the felling was found on his phone — with metadata showing that it was shot at the location of the tree. As digital data showed Graham's vehicle on its way back to where the two lived about 40 minutes away, Carruthers got a text from his girlfriend with footage of their 12-day-old son. 'I've got a better video than that,' Carruthers replied. The jury didn't hear evidence of a motive for the crime, but Wright suggested in his closing argument that the two had been on a 'moronic mission' and cut down the tree as a joke. 'They woke up the morning after and ... it must have dawned on them that they couldn't see anyone else smiling,' Wright said. Melley writes for the Associated Press.
ITV News
3 hours ago
- ITV News
Sycamore Gap: Pair jailed for four years and three months over felling of famous Northumberland tree
The two men who cut down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland have been jailed for more than four years. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday (15 July) having previously been found guilty of criminal damage in relation to the felling and subsequent damage to Hadrian's Wall. They were handed a sentence of four years and three months for criminal damage to the tree and a concurrent six months in custody for damage to Hadrian's Wall. During the trial at Newcastle Crown Court in April, jurors heard how Graham, of Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Church Street, Wigton, drove for 40 miles from the Carlisle area to the Sycamore Gap site on 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. Following the sentencing, a close relative of Graham said she wanted "nothing to do with him". She told ITV Tyne Tees: "Nature and birds, that is everything to me. It was everything to his father and his grandfather. He's nuts. To me, he's nothing." Meanwhile, Carruthers, whose girlfriend is standing by him, was defended by a close family friend who has know him since childhood. They said: "All we want at this point is Adam home. If he's as guilty as they say he is, all he did was cut down a tree. "If you can't see why that's less important than people's lives then you're missing something." Find out the full story in Sycamore Gap: Britain's Lost Landmark on ITV1 at 10.45pm tonight.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Two men who cut down Sycamore Gap tree jailed for nearly 10 years
Two former friends who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree in an act of 'mindless thuggery' have been jailed. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were convicted of criminal damage to the 'totemic' tree, which had stood for more than 100 years in a fold in the landscape. Both men were also convicted of criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall, caused when the tree fell on the ancient monument. They were each jailed for a total of four years and nine months. Defending Carruthers, Andrew Gurney told Newcastle Crown Court a motive has finally been offered for the crime, saying: '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.' The court heard Carruthers told a probation worker he had 'drunk a bottle of whisky after a hard day' but insisted he has no memory of the felling, saying 'everything is a blur'. For his part, Graham blamed his co-accused, branding him a 'fantasist' and insisting he 'just went along with' Carruthers not expecting him to actually go through with it, saying he was 'shocked' by the crime. But sentencing the pair at Newcastle Crown Court, judge Mrs Justice Lambert said she was sure 'bravado' and 'thrill-seeking' were more likely motivations. '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,' she said. The judge said that 'although there may be grains of truth [to the claims], I do not accept they are wholly honest or the whole story,' adding that 'a major factor was sheer bravado' and gaining 'some sort of thrill'. Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, told jurors during their trial the pair had engaged in a 'moronic mission' to cut down the landmark, travelling for more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, then carrying their equipment across pitch black moorland during a storm back in September 2023. One of them filmed the act, although precisely who did what, and why, has never been explained, with the prosecution case claiming that each encouraged the other. They took a wedge from the tree as a trophy that has never been recovered and revelled in the media coverage, as news of the vandalism caused national and international headlines. The tree was a symbol of Northumberland, was the site of countless family visits and featured in the Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Its destruction, filmed on a mobile phone, took less than three minutes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Andrew Poad, a National Trust manager, gave a victim impact statement which was read out in court today. He said: 'This iconic tree can never be replaced. 'Whilst the National Trust has cared for it on behalf of the nation, it belonged to the people. 'It was totemic.' Mr Poad added: 'An overwhelming sense of loss and confusion was felt across the world. 'The question was why anyone would do this to such a beautiful tree in such a special place. 'It was beyond comprehension.' The defendants were once close, working and socialising together, but have fallen out since their arrests and each has come to blame the other. Graham's 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 mobile was traced to phone masts making the same journey. When police arrested the pair and searched Graham's phone, they found a two-minute and 41-second video, which showed the sycamore being cut down at 12.30am on September 28, and had been sent to Carruthers. Messages and voice notes between Graham and Carruthers the next day showed them talking about the story going 'wild' and 'viral'. At trial, Graham claimed Carruthers had a fascination with the sycamore, saying he had described it as 'the most famous tree in the world' and spoken of wanting to cut it down, even keeping a piece of string in his workshop that he had used to measure its circumference. Carruthers denied this and told the court he could not understand the outcry over the story, saying it was 'just a tree'. Chris Knox, defending Graham, told the court: 'He is a troubled man who has had very real difficulties in his life, which have not all been of his own making.' Mr Knox said Graham, a groundworker, had set up a 'proper business which paid tax and did all the appropriate things'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video His home, and the business he operated from it, were attacked after he was remanded in custody, including having windows broken, the barrister said. Graham had also received hate mail which showed 'very unpleasant, malign intent towards him', Mr Knox said. For Carruthers, Andrew Gurney said: 'Mr Carruthers is someone who is going to have to bear the burden of what he has done for the rest of his life. More Trending 'He is a man of previous good character. That is gone. He will forever be linked to this act. He will have to carry this as some form of personal penance.' Mr Gurney said Adam Carruthers played an active role in bringing up his children, aged six and two. Being in prison since May had been 'torture' for him as he had never been away from his children for so long, Mr Gurney said. 'It is his stupid actions that have caused him to be taken away from his family and his children.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Couple guilty of murdering grandson they subjected to weeks of 'pain and misery' MORE: British woman 'killed dad in e-scooter crash while drunk' in Australia MORE: Charles Bronson says 'now you're in hell' in new message to people viewing his art
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Idiot pals who chopped down Sycamore Gap tree are jailed – as they finally reveal why they butchered iconic landmark
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PAIR of idiot pals who chopped down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree have been jailed. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, recorded themselves felling the tree with a chainsaw in the dead of night. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 The tree was felled with a chainsaw in the dead of night Credit: AFP 8 Graham and Carruthers kept a trophy after carrying out their shocking act of vandalism Credit: PA 8 The pair kept a chunk of the iconic tree as a 'trophy' Credit: PA The pair had embarked on a "moronic mission" to chop down the tree, which had stood next to Hadrian's Wall for more than a century before it was felled in just two minutes and 41 seconds. Graham and Carruthers were each found guilty of two counts of criminal damage at Newcastle Crown Court in May. Appearing at the same court today, the pair were jailed for four years and three months. Their sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court today also heard for the first time a possible motive for the felling of the tree. Andrew Gurney, representing Carruthers, said he had made admissions in a pre-sentence report. 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. Felled Sycamore Gap tree removed from Hadrian's Wall 'The felling was carried out in a deliberate, professional way.' Newcastle Crown Court earlier heard how the pair of friends struck in September 2023. Driving from Carlisle overnight and during a storm the pair went on to cut down "the most famous tree in the world" with a chainsaw in the dead of night. It took the men just three minutes to destroy the tree which had been growing for more than 100 years. The court heard how they took a wedge of the ancient tree with them as a "trophy." The act sent shockwaves through the country with Graham and Carruthers boasting to each other about going "viral." Video filmed by the pair shows one of them using a chainsaw to cut down the world famous tree which fell at around 12:30am. The tree held global significance for its position on the old frontier of the Roman Empire. The much-loved landmark stood next to Hadrian's Wall and once appeared in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Graham and Carruthers are said to have sent voice notes bragging about felling the more than a century old tree to one another. But, while giving evidence the pair turned on each other in a desperate bid to save their own skin. Graham had claimed that Carruthers phoned him the morning after the tree was felled to confess that it was him who hacked it down. 8 The tree stood for more than a century Credit: Getty 8 Adam Carruthers was found guilty of the awful crime Credit: AFP 8 Daniel Graham tried to blame the crime on Carruthers Credit: AFP He went on to say that the dad-of-two previously spoke about felling the iconic landmark. Graham also claimed Carruthers asked him to take the blame for the crime 'because he had mental health issues' and would be treated more leniently. Carruthers told jurors he was surprised by the public outcry as he thought it "was just a tree." He added: "I didn't understand how a tree would be able to hit the headlines as much as it did. "It was almost as if someone had been murdered." Graham, who ran a groundworks firm, and mechanic Carruthers, denied causing £622,191 worth of criminal damage to the tree and £1,144 worth of criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall. Both were found guilty by a jury after more than 5 hours of deliberation. They were remanded in custody in May and warned that they could face significant jail terms. Felling the world famous landmark was described as "the arboreal equivalent of mindless thuggery." 8 The tree was left toppled atop Hadrian's Wall before being removed Credit: PA
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sycamore Gap vandals admit cutting down beloved tree at sentencing
LONDON (AP) — The two men who long denied cutting down England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree changed their tune Tuesday as they faced several years in prison for the crime. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers previously testified at trial that they had nothing to do with the vandalism, but a prosecutor said that the two convicts now blame booze for the act as they admitted before sentencing that they had been on what he termed a 'moronic mission' to topple the tree. Prosecutor Richard Wright said that it was a 'fanciful proposition' that they didn't intend to cut down the tree along Hadrian's Wall or realize what they were doing until it was too late. 'The court can be sure they were sober, prepared and planned to do what they did,' Wright said. He said the pair should serve prison sentences between 18 months and 4 years. Justice Christina Lambert was due to sentence the pair later in the afternoon at Newcastle Crown Court. Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, were each convicted in May of two counts of criminal damage — one for killing the tree, and the other for damaging the ancient wall. The illegal felling in Northumberland National Park on Sept. 28, 2023, caused instant outrage and news quickly spread beyond the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire. It wasn't Britain's biggest or oldest tree, but the sycamore was prized for its picturesque setting, symmetrically planted between two hills along the wall that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tree had long been known to locals but became famous after a cameo in Kevin Costner's 1991 film 'Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.' It drew tourists, lovers, landscape photographers and even those who spread the ashes of loved ones. It was voted English 'Tree of the Year' in 2016. 'This iconic tree can never be replaced,' Andrew Poad, general manager of the heritage and nature conservation charity National Trust, said in a statement read in court by a prosecutor. 'It belonged to the people. It was a totemic symbol for many; a destination to visit whilst walking Hadrian's Wall, a place to make memories, take photos in all seasons; but it was also a place of sanctuary." One man wielded a chainsaw while the other captured the felling on grainy video on a cellphone. Prosecutors couldn't say who cut down the tree and who memorialized the senseless act, but both were equally culpable. In less than three minutes, the tree that had stood nearly 150 years crashed to the ground. Carruthers will have to carry the burden for his actions like a 'form of personal penance,' attorney Andrew Gurney said. 'It was no more than drunken stupidity,' Gurney said, 'and something he would regret for the rest of his life.' At trial, the two men — once the best of friends who have fallen out since their arrests — testified they were at their respective homes on the night of the crime and downplayed their skills working with chainsaws. But evidence shown to the jury implicated both men. Graham's Range Rover was near the tree around the time it fell. Video of the felling was found on his phone — with metadata showing that it was shot at the location of the tree. As digital data showed Graham's vehicle on its way back to where the two lived about 40 minutes away, Carruthers got a text from his girlfriend with footage of their 12-day-old son. 'I've got a better video than that,' Carruthers replied. The jury didn't hear evidence of a motive for the crime, but Wright suggested in his closing argument that the two had been on a 'moronic mission' and cut down the tree as a joke. 'They woke up the morning after and ... it must have dawned on them that they couldn't see anyone else smiling,' Wright said.
