Two British men, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were sentenced to four years and three months in prison on Tuesday, July 15 for cutting down the famous Sycamore Gap tree, which had stood for nearly 150 years.
Graham from Carlisle and Carruthers from Wigton were found guilty in May for damaging both the Sycamore Gap tree and the nearby wall.
On September 27, 2023, they both drove 30 miles through a storm from Cumbria to Northumberland and cut down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in less than three minutes.
Prosecutors said the two men carried out a foolish act that caused over £620,000 in damage to the Sycamore Gap tree and more than £1,000 in damage to Hadrian’s Wall, where the tree fell, as per Sky News.
After the incident, they seemed to enjoy the media attention, sending each other messages and voice notes about how the story was spreading widely and going viral.
The judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, told them, "You, Adam Carruthers were the person who felled the tree, while you Daniel Graham, assisted and encouraged him by driving there and back and, not least, by filming the crime on your mobile phone."
During the sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court, the judge did not accept Carruthers' excuse that he was drunk.
The judge said Carruthers cut down the tree with a chainsaw while Graham filmed him, suggesting that “sheer bravado” and “some sort of thrill” were likely factors.
