Vandals face sentencing for chopping down iconic Sycamore Gap tree
- In September 2023, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers used a chainsaw to fell the Sycamore Gap tree, a nearly 150-year-old landmark.
- The pair were convicted of two counts of criminal damage, facing severe legal repercussions for their destructive act.
- This incident has raised public awareness about the importance of protecting cultural and natural heritage sites.
In September 2023, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers traveled from their homes in Cumbria to Sycamore Gap, a beloved landmark on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, England. The pair engaged in an act of vandalism that would forever alter the landscape, using a chainsaw to fell the nearly 150-year-old sycamore tree. Their shocking crime, which took less than three minutes, was recorded on a mobile phone. The tree was a symbol of Northumberland, attracting countless visitors over the years, and its destruction drew national and international outrage. Convicted in May 2025, both men faced two counts of criminal damage: one for the tree itself and another for the damage inflicted on the historic Hadrian's Wall when the tree fell upon it. The maximum sentence for such crimes is up to ten years in prison, and aggravating factors include the impact on heritage and community. The prosecution described their actions as a