Updated July 16, 2025 at 11:48 AM ET
When the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was cut down in September 2023, it triggered an outpouring of grief and outrage. Now, the men behind the felling have been sentenced for their crime.
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were sentenced on Tuesday to four years and three months in prison, related to the brazen act of vandalism in northern England. They had faced punishment up to 10 years.
"I'm confident that a major factor in your offending that night was sheer bravado. Felling the tree in the middle of the night, in the middle of a storm, gave you some sort of thrill, as did the media coverage of your crimes over the following days," Justice Christina Lambert said in handing down the sentence. "You reveled in the coverage, taking evident pride in what you had done, knowing that you were responsible for the crime which so many people were talking about."
Believed to be about 200 years old, the stately tree rose out of a dip in the craggy landscape of Northumberland, England. For decades, visitors used it as a quietly dramatic backdrop for picnics, vacation photos and wedding proposals.
But that history came to an abrupt end on the morning of Sept. 28, 2023, when the well-loved tree was found on its side, sliced by a chainsaw.
Jurors in May had found the men guilty of two charges of criminal damage when they cut down the tree that was owned by the National Trust, along with damaging the nearby historic Hadrian's Wall, which was hit by the large tree's trunk when it fell.
Two men reveled in the public outcry over 'moronic' act
During the trial to determine their guilt, prosecutors showed the jury a grainy video from Graham's phone of the tree being sawn down. Metadata showed the footage was recorded at the tree's exact location, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The pair relished the anguish they caused, prosecutors said, citing text messages between Graham and Carruthers.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Gale Gilchrist of CPS North East said in a statement: "In just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction."
"As news of their crime spread the following day, the pair exchanged messages, reveling in the public outcry they had caused," Gilchrist added.
Both men denied having anything to do with the tree. But data from their phones and Graham's car placed them at the scene of the crime. No motive was presented at trial; prosecutors have called the act "moronic."
Graham and Carruthers had worked together in the past, as landscapers and handymen. Once close friends, they fell out and turned on each other, with Graham blaming Carruthers at trial.
"As the news media rolled in, as the outrage of the public became clear, it must have dawned on them that they couldn't see anyone else smiling," prosecutor Richard Wright told the court at the time of their trial.
Sadness, and then hope, followed the shocking act
In response to the Tuesday sentencing, the National Trust thanked prosecutors and the Northumbria Police for resolving the case.
"The enduring sense of loss reflects the powerful bond between people and our natural heritage," a National Trust spokesperson said in a statement sent to NPR.
"The Sycamore Gap tree was iconic and represented thousands of cherished trees across the country that benefit people, nature, and climate. We remain committed to working with partners to secure stronger protections for these irreplaceable natural treasures."
The Sycamore Gap tree grew in a gully near Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that once marked the frontier of the Roman Empire. Over decades, the tree became a beloved icon, featured on postcards and in Kevin Costner's 1991 film, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.
For the tree's admirers, a bit of relief came last summer when the same ranger who had initially discovered the fallen sycamore reported seeing new shoots of growth along its stump, fueling hopes that the tree might regenerate itself.
The National Trust and Northumberland National Park Authority also worked to sprout seeds and nurture cuttings from the famous tree.
Police have previously said that two other people who were initially questioned in the weeks after the tree was cut down — a 16-year-old boy and a 60-year-old man — face no further action in the case.
NPR's Alana Wise contributed reporting to this story.
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