Two Men Convicted of Felling Iconic Sycamore Gap Tree, Causing £622k Damage

Two men from Cumbria, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, have been found guilty of criminal damage for deliberately cutting down the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree, an iconic natural landmark in northeast England featured in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." They drove 30 miles through a storm to the site by Hadrian’s Wall, where one felled the tree with a chainsaw while the other filmed the act, then kept a wedge of the trunk as a trophy. The men were convicted on two counts each—damage to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall—and caused over £622,000 in damages. Prosecutors described their actions as "deliberate and mindless criminal damage" and noted the pair initially treated their vandalism as "a bit of a laugh" before realizing the widespread public outrage. The Sycamore Gap tree had stood for over a century and was a beloved site for tourists and photographers, making the destruction particularly significant. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, and the case has drawn intense public interest, with court proceedings likely to be televised.