A jury has found two men guilty of cutting down England’s most beloved tree. Prosecutors called their actions “a deliberate and mindless act of destruction.” Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, received guilty verdicts on May 9, 2025, after they destroyed the famous Sycamore Gap tree. The 150-year-old tree stood beside Hadrian’s Wall before vandals destroyed it in September 2023. The case shocked the nation, as millions mourned the loss of this natural landmark.
A Living Monument: The History Behind the 150-Year-Old Tree
The Sycamore Gap Tree represented a living piece of British history that captured hearts around the world. The tree likely self-seeded in the mid-1800s, growing for around 150-200 years. It stood in a natural gap next to Hadrian’s Wall, the 1,900-year-old Roman fortification that UNESCO designated as a World Heritage site. For over 100 years, this beautiful tree grew from a perfect dip between two hills, and visitors regarded this rare sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) as one of England’s most photographed trees. The Woodland Trust named it English Tree of the Year in 2016.
Kevin Costner’s 1991 movie “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves” catapulted the tree to fame after featuring it prominently. This exposure introduced it to millions of people worldwide. But the tree meant so much more than just movies and photos.
The tree became a sacred destination for life’s most important moments. Couples chose it as the backdrop for marriage proposals. Families scattered the ashes of loved ones beneath its branches. Countless people captured family photos in its shadow, with thousands making pilgrimages to visit what many considered a sacred place. The tree occupied a UNESCO World Heritage site that marked the ancient edge of the Roman Empire. It connected visitors not just to nature, but to 1,900 years of history.
Read More: Ancient tree tells chaotic tale of Earth’s magnetic field reversal
The Crime: How Two Men Destroyed the 150-Year-Old Tree
On the stormy night of September 27-28, 2023, two former friends embarked on what prosecutors later called a “foolish mission.” Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers drove 30 miles through the darkness from their homes in Cumbria to reach one of England’s most beloved natural landmarks.
They felled the ancient tree with a chainsaw while recording their destruction on their phones. When the 150-year-old treecrashed down, it struck Hadrian’s Wall instead of falling safely, causing further damage to the UNESCO World Heritage site. The pair then carried a section of the fallen tree back home as a trophy from their night of vandalism.
Digital Evidence Led to Their Arrest
The two men might have thought they had committed the perfect crime under cover of darkness. But modern technology and their pride exposed them. Police built their case against the pair through digital evidence that demonstrated their guilt after an 18-month investigation.
Police discovered a video showing the exact moment of this 150-year-old tree’s destruction on Graham’s phone and presented it in court. Cellphone location data placed both men at the remote Sycamore Gap site when the destruction occurred. Vehicle tracking showed Graham’s Range Rover making the trip from Carlisle to Northumberland and back.
Read More: Why Are Some Trees Painted White?
Incriminating Messages Revealed Their Pride in Destruction
Perhaps most damning was how they behaved the next day. The jury heard messages the duo exchanged after news of the tree’s destruction broke. In these, Graham and Carruthers appeared to celebrate their actions. Graham sent a voice note: “It’s gone viral, it’s gone worldwide, it will be on ITV News tonight.” When people online criticized them and called them “weak,” Carruthers boasted: “I’d like to see [him] launch an operation like we did last night… I don’t think he’s got the minerals.”
The pair also photographed and filmed a piece of wood next to a chainsaw in the back of Graham’s car after recording the cutting. Prosecutors described this as “perhaps a trophy taken from the scene to remind them of their actions.”
Former Friends Turn Against Each Other Over the 150-Year-Old Tree
The two men who people once called “best of pals” entered the courtroom as bitter enemies. The court heard that the defendants have since fallen out and their friendship has “fallen apart.” Both possessed extensive experience with chainsaws and tree cutting through their work as landscapers and handymen. This background made their denials ring especially hollow.
Despite overwhelming evidence, both Graham and Carruthers maintained their innocence throughout the trial. They each claimed they stayed home that night and had nothing to do with the crime. Graham blamed his former friend. He admitted his Range Rover had traveled to the parking area nearest to Sycamore Gap and his phone had recorded the tree being cut, but insisted Carruthers had stolen both and committed the act alone.
Carruthers, for his part, displayed a shocking lack of understanding about the public outrage and the seriousness of his crimes. He told the jury he didn’t understand why people felt upset about “just a tree,” adding that it seemed “almost as if someone had been murdered.” This callous attitude only strengthened the prosecution’s argument that both men showed complete disregard for the cultural and historical significance of what they destroyed.
Guilty Verdicts Delivered After Two-Day Trial
On May 9, 2025, after deliberating for just over five hours across two days, a jury of seven women and five men delivered guilty verdicts on criminal damage charges. Neither defendant displayed emotion as the court read the verdicts. Both men face up to 10 years in prison when the court sentences them on July 15. The judge warned they should expect “a lengthy period in custody.”
The conviction marked the end of a case that captivated Britain and delivered justice for the destruction of this 150-year-old tree in one of the most senseless acts of vandalism in recent memory. This conviction demonstrates that courts will punish such wanton destruction of beloved landmarks with the full force of the law. Meanwhile, efforts to cultivate new trees from the original seeds offer hope for the site’s future.
Read More: Critically Endangered ‘Dinosaur Tree’ Produces Fruit for the First Time
