Latest news with #WalterRenwick
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Extra.ie
Man wrongly accused of felling Sycamore Gap tree wore 'Rod Stewart wig' to avoid abuse
A man falsely accused of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree says he resorted to wearing a Rod Stewart-style wig in public to avoid harassment. Walter Renwick, a 69-year-old lumberjack, was arrested the day after the famous tree was felled in September 2023. Although he was released without charge by December, public suspicion has continued to follow him. The much-loved 70ft sycamore, featured in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, stood in a picturesque dip along Hadrian's Wall and was considered one of the UK's most iconic trees. Walter Renwick. Pic: BBC Its dramatic overnight destruction sparked outrage. Two men – Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria – were later found guilty of criminal damage by a unanimous jury at Newcastle Crown Court in May. A judge described the pair as 'moronic' for their actions. Daniel Graham. Pic: Northumbria Police Despite being cleared, Mr Renwick has struggled with the lingering effects of the accusation. Speaking to the BBC this week, he described the emotional toll of the police search at his Northumberland home: 'There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake – they were 100% certain I'd done it,' he recalled. 'Every time I went shopping, people were nudging each other and saying 'that's him that cut the tree down', stuff like that. Adam Carruthers. Pic: Northumbria Police 'I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn't spot me.' Months before the tree was felled, Mr Renwick had been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm – land that had been in his family for generations. Though he had no legal claim to the tenancy, online speculation falsely linked his eviction to a possible motive for the felling. 'I'd just lost everything I had — my cows, my sheep, my parents' stuff. I'd lost my home, and then this,' he said. Reflecting on the outcome of the trial, Mr Renwick said: 'I just keep asking myself why they did it. Was it just attention seeking? I don't know what it was but, for me at least, it's over. 'Actually, you know, the tree – that was one thing. But losing my farm. That was the thing that hurt most of all.'
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Man wrongly accused of felling Sycamore Gap tree 'wears Rod Stewart wig' to hide
A man who was arrested over the felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree says he's taken unusual measures to avoid public abuse. Walter Renwick, a lumberjack, was arrested the day after the popular tree was felled in September 2023. The 70ft tree – which featured in 1991 Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – sat in a gap in Hadrian's Wall and was one of the most beloved trees in the UK. But it was chopped down in the middle of the night. Two friends, called 'moronic' by a judge, have been found guilty of criminal damage over the felling. Mr Renwick, 69, was released without charge by December 2023. He spoke out at the time, saying he was not 'stupid' enough to cut down the tree – but it public outcry against the tree felling means Mr Renwick is still associated with the Sycamore Gap. Speaking to the BBC yesterday, he described his home in Northumberland being searched as 'heartbreaking' and said he would be pointed out in the street. Mr Renwick of the police searches: 'There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake, they were 100% certain I'd done it. 'Every time I went shopping in Haltwhistle or Hexham, people were nudging each other and saying 'that's him that cut the tree down', stuff like that. 'I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn't spot me.' Months before the Sycamore Gap tree was felled, Mr Renwick had been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm near Bardon Mill, just a few miles from Hadrian's Wall. The tenancy held by his grandfather and father had not passed to him – and this led to online sleuths suggesting the eviction was his motivation for chopping down the tree. 'I'd just lost everything I had, my cows, my sheep, my parents' stuff. I'd lost my home and then this,' Mr Renwick said. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, were both found guilty by an unanimous jury of criminal damage at Newcastle crown court in May. More Trending Discussing the true culprits, Mr Renwick said: 'I just keep asking myself why they did it. 'Was it just attention seeking? I don't know what it was but, for me at least, it's over. 'Actually, you know, the tree, that was one thing. But losing my farm. That was the thing that hurt most of all.' Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Dad given quad bike trip over 'smelly' room suing Tui for £500,000 after crashing MORE: Paedophile who raped a six-year-old girl to be surgically castrated MORE: Mum spared jail after hiding bodies of two stillborn babies at home for years
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Former lumberjack falsely accused of being the Sycamore Gap feller had to wear 'Rod Stewart' wig to avoid abuse after trolls targeted him
A former lumberjack falsely accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree had to wear a Rod Stewart wig to avoid abuse after he was targeted by trolls. Walter Renwick was arrested the day after the famous tree, which stood in a valley along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland National Park for around 150 years, was illegally chopped down in September 2023. Officers searched the ex lumberjack's home and removed a chainsaw from his property after he was accused by online sleuths. Following his arrest, he became scared to leave the house as people would accuse him of felling the tree when they saw him in public. 'It was heartbreaking. There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake, they were 100 per cent certain I'd done it,' he told the BBC. Eventually, Mr Renwick resorted to wearing a disguise to stop so many people recognising him. 'Every time I went shopping in Haltwhistle or Hexham, people were nudging each other and saying, ''That's him that cut the tree down'', stuff like that. I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn't spot me,' he said. To make matters worse, Mr Renwick had recently been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm, near Bardon Mill, meaning he was also dealing with the loss of his home. In December 2023, Northumbria Police let Mr Renwick, as well as a 16-year-old who had also been accused, go following a stressful and public process. The force said it had carried out a 'meticulous and proportionate investigation' and recognised the 'strength of feeling' caused by the felling of the iconic tree. Police arrested Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, over the crime. The pair were both convicted of two counts of criminal damage and sentenced to 10 years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court in May this year.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Falsely accused Sycamore Gap suspect wore disguise after online trolling
A man who was wrongly accused of felling the Sycamore Gap has told how he had to wear a disguise to leave the house. Walter Renwick, a former lumberjack, was accused of cutting down the tree by online sleuths after the Sycamore Gap tree, which sat in a valley along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland National Park for about 150 years, was chopped down. Police arrested Mr Renwick on Sept 29 2023, the day after the felling, and photos showed officers searching his home in Northumberland and removing a chainsaw from the property. Mr Renwick, who had recently been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm, near Bardon Mill, said: 'I'd just lost everything I had, my cows, my sheep, my parents' stuff. I'd lost my home and then this.' He then became the subject of online trolling following his arrest and felt uncomfortable going out in public, resorting to wearing a disguise. 'It was heartbreaking. There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake, they were 100 per cent certain I'd done it,' he told the BBC. 'Every time I went shopping in Haltwhistle or Hexham, people were nudging each other and saying, 'That's him that cut the tree down', stuff like that. I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn't spot me.' Kevin Donald, a freelance journalist who was following the investigation into the tree felling, has said that Mr Renwick's arrest was 'a bit tenuous'. Northumbria Police then announced the arrest of a 16-year-old boy in Haltwhistle, who has asked not to be named, who was also taken into custody. Ed Corble, a bed and breakfast owner, said speculation in the boy's home town, five miles away from the Sycamore Gap, caused 'absolute chaos'. He said: 'His family had no idea why it was happening and for a 16-year-old to have the eyes of the world on him like that was so dangerous.' Mr Donald said the teenager received online abuse about the recent death of a relative. 'You've immediately got this trial by social media going on. It was all over the place that they'd arrested Walter and his grandson, but it turned out they didn't even know each other,' he said. By December 2023, Northumbria Police let both Mr Renwick and the 16-year-old go. The force said it had carried out a 'meticulous and proportionate investigation' and acknowledged the 'strength of feeling' caused by the felling of the tree. By then police had arrested Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria. The pair were each convicted of two counts of criminal damage and were sentenced to 10 years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court in May 2025.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I was accused of felling Sycamore Gap tree and wore wig as disguise in public'
Walter Renwick, 70, found himself at the centre of fake claims and abuse when the Sycamore Gap tree was felled - he was arrested along with a boy, 16, but both were cleared of any wrongdoing A former lumberjack has spoken of his ordeal after he was falsely blamed for felling the Sycamore Gap - and wore a Rod Stewart wig to hide his identity. Walter Renwick, 70, found himself at the centre of fake claims and abuse when the iconic tree was felled on September 28, 2023. He was arrested along with a teenager who was suspected of being involved in the crime which sent shockwaves around the globe. He has spoken of being the focus of a hate campaign as Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, who really chopped down the tree, face sentencing at Newcastle crown court this week. He recalled: "It was heartbreaking. There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake, they were 100 per cent certain I'd done it. "Every time I went shopping in Haltwhistle or Hexham, people were nudging each other and saying 'that's him that cut the tree down'." The pensioner, who lived close to Hadrian's Wall, not far from where the tree stood, resorted to a disguise to hide his identity. "I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn't spot me," he added. He had been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm near Bardon Mill, Northumberland, by landowners Jesuits in Britain. His family had been living there for decades; a tenancy held by his grandfather and father had not passed to him. The National Trust were said to be one of the bodies who complained about his behaviour after he set up a campsite on the land. And that was wrongly believed to have been part of his motive. His land and property were searched by Northumbria Police officers looking for clues shortly after the tree was felled. The act of vandalism sparked outrage and condemnation from nature lovers around the world. The force said it recognised the "strength of feeling that the felling had caused". But stressed that it had carried out a "a meticulous and proportionate investigation". The "unwavering commitment" of the officers involved in the case had led to a successful prosecution, a spokesperson added. A jury at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted Graham and Carruthers of two counts of criminal damage in May. "I just keep asking myself why they did it," Mr Renwick told the BBC. "Was it just attention seeking? "I don't know what it was but, for me at least, it's over. Actually, you know, the tree, that was one thing... But losing my farm. That was the thing that hurt most of all." Jesuits in Britain said Mr Renwick's father "gave up" the tenancy in 2008 and Mr Renwick did not meet the legal criteria to succeed his dad. He was offered a 10-year lease which was extended twice, "well beyond any legal obligation" on their part. Mr Renwick was "fully aware" of options available and he was given "multiple opportunities to discuss alternative arrangements". A spokesman added: "Throughout we have sought to act with kindness and integrity. We sincerely wish him well as he moves forward." Graham, 39, of Millbeck, near Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, both Cumbria, each denied causing £622,191 worth of criminal damage to the tree and damage to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Both belong to the National Trust. The maximum sentence for criminal damage is 10 years. Both men are due to be sentenced on July 15 at Newcastle crown court.
