Sycamore Gap trial live: Two men to appear at crown court accused of felling historic tree

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Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are on trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of felling Sycamore Gap tree

Adam Carruthers, pictured on Monday leaving Newcastle Crown Court, is accused alongside Daniel Graham of bringing down the Sycamore Gap tree

Two men accused of felling the world famous Sycamore Gap tree will go on trial on Monday morning.

Daniel Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, will appear at Newcastle Crown Court, both charged with criminal damage worth £622,191 to the tree.

They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

After a jury was sworn in yesterday, the pair, who deny all the charges against them, will hear the Crown Prosecution Service’s case when this morning’s hearing begins at 10am.

Yesterday, Mrs Justice Lambert told the jury: “It concerns allegations of criminal damage, namely the felling by a chain saw of a sycamore tree situated at Hadrian’s Wall that is commonly known as Sycamore Gap. The tree was felled and damage was caused to the Roman wall in the course of it.”

The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree in September 2023 was met with an outpouring of grief and anger, both locally and globally.

Planted by a local landowner around 150 years ago, the tree became one of the most photographed places in the country, and the site of many marriage proposals and scattering of ashes. It shot to world fame when it featured in a scene of the Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991.

What happened to the felled Sycamore Gap tree

After the Sycamore Gap tree was felled on the night of September 28, 2023, it was chopped down into sections and removed from the site to a top secret location by owners the National Trust.

It had to be removed, partly, because it was lying on Hadrian’s Wall.

But it was also taken away for work to regrow new versions of it. Sections of the tree were also kept safe for future public exhibitions, with the largest chunk to appear at a permanent display at The Sill discovery centre in Northumberland this summer.

Meanwhile, at the stump of the felled tree, a wooden fence was put up, and just last year shoots were spotted coming through - although it will take more than 100 years for a tree to regrow properly.

The felled Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Alex Ross29 April 2025 08:31

Why is the Sycamore Gap tree so famous

Situated in a sloping gap of the Hadrian’s Wall, near the village of Once Brewed, the Sycamore Gap tree has become one of the most famous places in England over the past few decades.

The tree, planted 150 years ago, has always been an icon for people in the region, with many having used the site to mark birthdays, do marriage proposals and scatter ashes.

But it was in 1991 when the Sycamore Gap achieved worldwide fame, appearing in the Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves which starred Kevin Costner. As tourists from as far away as the US flocked to see the tree, locals started calling it the “Kevin Costner tree”.

The tree’s fame was further cannoned thanks to the advent of social media, with photographs of the solitary tree beamed around the world on people’s phones and computers.

The tree on Hadrian’s Wall was much-loved by walkers visiting Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Alex Ross29 April 2025 08:25

Judge addressed the jury on the case

Before jury selection yesterday, and ahead of today’s opening of the case, Mrs Justice Lambert addressed the panel of 25 potential jurors.

She told the panel that if they were sworn in, they would make a solemn oath to try the case on the evidence presented within the four walls of the court.

In front of a packed public gallery and a full press bench, she told them: “It concerns allegations of criminal damage, namely the felling by a chain saw of a sycamore tree situated at Hadrian’s Wall that is commonly known as Sycamore Gap.

“The tree was felled and damage was caused to the Roman wall in the course of it.

“I am sure each and every one of you have heard about the case given the level of media interest which it has engaged.”

A jury of 12 people was selected.

The location of the trial is Newcastle Crown Court, around an hour’s drive from the felled Sycamore Gap tree

Alex Ross29 April 2025 08:19

Jury selected for trial

Yesterday, at Newcastle Crown Court, a jury of 12 people was selected for the trial of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, both accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree.

They were sworn in after being asked by Rebecca Brown, junior counsel for the prosecution, if they each had any emotional connection to the much-loved site on Hadrian’s Wall.

“Other than general knowledge and you visiting, do you have any particular link, emotional or otherwise, to Sycamore Gap or Hadrian’s Wall?” she said.

Ms Brown also asked if the jury panel had any link to the National Trust or Historic England, not including being a member.

Alex Ross29 April 2025 08:14

Who is accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree

As we’ve reported, two men - Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers - were arrested and later charged with causing criminal damage to the Sycamore Gap tree, which was felled overnight on September 28 2023.

Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are on trial at Newcastle Crown Court this week.

They are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the much-photographed Northumberland tree.

They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the tree when it was felled overnight on September 28 2023.