Two men found guilty of cutting down famous Sycamore Gap tree

Published

6 months ago

May 9, 2025

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Two men have been found guilty of cutting down the famous Sycamore Gap tree that stood for more than 150 years.

Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were convicted of causing more than £620,000 worth of damage to the tree and more than £1,000 worth of damage to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland.

On 27 September 2023, the pair drove 30 miles through a storm to Northumberland from Cumbria, where they both lived, before felling the tree overnight in a matter of minutes.

The pair each denied two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to Hadrian’s Wall, which was damaged when the tree fell on it, but were convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday.

The Sycamore Gap tree sat in a dip in the landscape and held a place in pop culture, featuring in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

It also formed part of people’s personal lives, as the scene of wedding proposals, ashes being scattered and countless photographs.

Footage of the moment the tree was felled was played during the trial.

In the clip, the sound of a chainsaw can be heard, and the silhouette of a person can be seen, before the trunk eventually tumbled.

The footage was shot on Graham’s iPhone 13, with the metadata providing the coordinates of the tree.

Part of tree kept as ‘trophy’

Over the course of the trial, the pair blamed one another, but the prosecution argued they were both responsible for what the court heard was a “mindless act of vandalism”.

As well as the video footage of the felling, an image of a piece of wood and a chainsaw was found on Graham’s phone.

Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court: “This was perhaps a trophy taken from the scene to remind them of their actions, actions that they appear to have been revelling in.”

Voice notes played in court

The jury was also played voice notes the pair had sent one another, commenting on the media coverage the incident was receiving.

In one of them, Graham, 39, said to 32-year-old Carruthers: “Someone there has tagged like ITV News, BBC News, Sky News, like News News News”, before adding: “I think it’s going to go wild.”

Another piece of evidence was a photo of the defendants felling a different tree, about a month before the Sycamore Gap was cut down.

The prosecution said Graham, who owned a groundworks company and Carruthers, who worked in property management and mechanics, were “friends with knowledge and experience in chainsaws and tree felling”.

From the beginning, much of the trial focused on the significance of the tree, with Judge Mrs Justice Lambert telling the jury to put their “emotion to one side” before proceedings began.

‘Mindless acts of violence’

Northumberland Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police, said: “We often hear references made to mindless acts of vandalism – but that term has never been more relevant than today in describing the actions of those individuals”.

Graham and Carruthers gave no explanation for why they targeted the tree, he said, “and there never could be a justifiable one”.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, called the felling of the tree “unfathomable” and said, although “there was no remorse [from the defendants], there was compelling evidence, and now there will be justice”.

Gale Gilchrist, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North East, said Graham and Carruthers took “under three minutes” to bring down the “iconic landmark” in a “deliberate and mindless act of destruction”.

She said she hoped the community “can take some measure of comfort in seeing those responsible convicted”.

‘Enormity of the loss’

Reflecting on the verdict and the actions of the pair, Tony Gates, chief executive of Northumberland National Parks Authority, said: “It just took a few days to sink in – I think because of the enormity of the loss.

“We knew how important that location was for many people at an emotional level, almost at a spiritual level in terms of people’s connection to this case.”

The tree’s stump still sits by Hadrian’s Wall, where new shoots have been emerging.

Its largest remaining section will go on display at the National Landscape Discovery Centre in the Northumberland National Park later this year.

The effort to preserve the tree’s legacy also goes beyond the region where it stood.

Forty-nine saplings taken from the tree have been conserved by the National Trust. They will be planted in accessible public spaces across the country as “trees of hope”, which will allow parts of the Sycamore Gap to live on.

The defendants, who didn’t react when the verdicts were delivered, will be sentenced in July.

UK

Andrew pays the ultimate price after years of public disdain

Published

1 hour ago

October 31, 2025

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Andrew pays the ultimate price after years of public disdain

Andrew always denied the allegations – but the repeated accusations would not go away.

And his associations risked real reputational damage to the royal family.

His friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, his dealings with an alleged Chinese spy, and then the posthumous publication of his accuser, Virginia Giuffre’s memoir.

Her family said she brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.

The piling pressure was starting to overshadow the work of Andrew’s wider family. And with the Prince of Wales soon heading to Brazil for his Earthshot award, enough was enough.

We understand the Royal Family, including Prince William backed the King’s leadership on this matter.

The King made the decisions, his family supported them.

Andrew will leave Royal Lodge, his large home on the Windsor estate. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who also lived there, will “make her own arrangements”.

It was their family home for many years. Both daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who grew up there, will keep their titles.

As for Andrew, he will soon move to Sandringham – the King’s private Norfolk estate – where the family traditionally gathers for Christmas; and he will be funded privately by the King.

This is all a formal process carried out in consultation with official authorities, but the government supports the decision taken.

This will not have been easy for the King, but he knew he could not ignore public opinion. The criticism and anger directed at Andrew was never going to stop – and only he had the power to take the ultimate action against his own brother.

For years, Andrew enjoyed the perks and privileges of his powerful position, but his birthright could not withstand withering public disdain.

And now he’s paid the ultimate price.

UK

Elderly patients facing ‘war-like’ conditions in Britain’s hospitals, says report

Published

1 hour ago

October 31, 2025

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Elderly patients facing 'war-like' conditions in Britain's hospitals, says report

Corridor care in Britain’s hospitals is a “crisis in plain sight”, a charity has warned, with patients complaining of long waits and warzone-like conditions.

An Age UK report describes “truly shocking” incidents of elderly people waiting days for care, including them hearing and seeing others dying as they wait.

According to the latest figures for England, 75% of patients were seen within four hours in A&Es in September.

But the number of people waiting more than 12 hours from the decision to admit to actually being admitted – known as “corridor care” – stood at 44,765, a jump from 35,909 in August.

Describing her experience, a 79-year-old woman from south London told Age UK: “The corridors were lined with patients on trolleys, hooked up to drips, some moaning in pain.

“It reminded me of war films, with queues of stretchers and people suffering.”

Others spoke of “puddles of urine” on the floor as immobile patients are unable to go to the toilet – and patients being forced to use bedpans in corridors.

The report raises concerns that poor quality care “is now almost expected” in some A&E departments and warns the situation could “get worse” as the NHS heads into winter.

One person said her friend’s mother was left waiting “ages when she was having a heart attack, and died before receiving any care”.

Age UK said many patients are now unwilling to go to A&E, even if they are in a life-threatening situation.

It called on the government to “urgently” tackle corridor care, with specific deadlines for ending long waits, as it warned older people have been disproportionately affected.

Responding to the criticism, health minister Karin Smyth told Sky News: “The stories in this report are heartbreaking.

“No one should receive care in a corridor – it’s unacceptable, undignified, and we are determined to end it.

“To tackle a problem, you’ve got to be honest about it. For the first time, the NHS will measure and publish the number of patients waiting in corridors.”

The government is investing £450m to build same-day urgent and emergency care centres, buy 500 new ambulances, build 40 new mental health crisis centres, and give NHS leaders on the ground more power to deliver local solutions.

Ms Smyth also urged people to get vaccinated, as flu season has arrived weeks earlier than usual.

UK

Highland protesters speak out as asylum seekers set for army barracks move

Published

1 hour ago

October 31, 2025

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Highland protesters speak out as asylum seekers set for army barracks move

“I’ll be at that gate with my kilt,” says Inverness protester Thomas.

He was one of the first people Sky News met as we visited the Highland city preparing to welcome 300 male asylum seekers at a 150-year-old army barracks just minutes from the High Street.

But if our experience testing the temperature is anything to go by, it seems the welcome will be far from the traditional hospitality this part of the world is famous for.

The Scottish Highlands currently has no asylum seekers, according to the latest Home Office data. It makes it a unique part of Britain as other communities witness rising numbers of arrivals.

The UK government is planning drastic changes in the coming weeks. It announced plans to bring 309 male asylum seekers to Cameron army barracks in Inverness.

The military base was built in 1876 and now looks set to become Britain’s most northern migrant centre as officials aim to cut the use of costly asylum seeker hotels.

Thomas, who did not want to share his full name, said he had signed a petition against the proposals and hinted he was ready to campaign against it.

He said: “I’ll be at that gate with my kilt on.

“I’ll be there with posters and shouting ‘get tae’. I think we are more scared. I think it’s more invasion.”

Fellow protester Chloe said: “Everyone is scared. I am worried for my child.”

She cited the recent conviction of migrant Deng Chol Majek, who stabbed hotel worker Rhiannon Whyte to death with a screwdriver in the West Midlands.

Another man, who did not want to provide his name, told Sky News he was previously homeless.

“It’s disgusting. It’s a shambles. I wouldn’t want to say what I’d do to them (migrants) but I wouldn’t be putting them in the barracks,” he told us.

He concluded: “We should ship them back to their own country. They don’t deserve to be in this country.”

‘Extreme views’

I also met offshore wind engineer Kai Fraser, who said: “I have no problem with them being here. There are a few people who have got really big problems with it which are unfounded. They need to go somewhere.

“It is peddled by Farage and his ilk. It is exposing quite a few folks’ extreme views that were traditionally hidden behind closed doors.”

Since the announcement was made by the Home Office, it has emerged Cameron Barracks requires a £1m revamp, including new boilers and the possible removal of asbestos.

Contract tender documents seen by The Times suggested the work was due to begin in January, weeks after the asylum seekers were supposed to be moving in.

There are questions over whether the arrivals could be delayed over fears of a legal challenge from migrants over the conditions. Councillors in Inverness are set to meet in the coming days amid suggestions they could use planning laws to block the plans.

Swinney: It’s a mess

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said UK ministers, who are responsible for the asylum system, had made “another mess”.

He said: “What will be the availability of healthcare services? What will be the availability of support services? We have no answers to these questions. The Home Office has given no answers whatsoever.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.

“This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well underway, with more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities.

“We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and across government so that we can accelerate delivery.”