UK Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism' - 16 year old arrested

Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism'
Reuters (archive.ph)
By Reuters Staff
2023-09-29T06:04:51GMT

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General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie and was photographed by tourists from around the world, was cut down overnight in what police called a "deliberate act of vandalism".

Police said they had arrested a 16-year old male in connection with the felling of the statuesque sycamore in northern England, which is set in a natural dip in the otherwise treeless, sweeping landscape alongside Hadrian's Wall.

It was also known as the 'Robin Hood Tree' after featuring in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".

Photographs showed the tree, estimated to be hundreds of years old and voted "English Tree of the Year" in 2016, lying on its side across the wall next to a freshly-cut stump.

"This is a world-renowned landmark and the events of today have caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond," said Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police.

"An investigation was immediately launched following this vandalism, and this afternoon we have arrested one suspect in connection with our enquiries."

The National Trust, who look after the site alongside Northumberland National Park, said it was "shocked and desperately saddened", while local lawmaker Guy Opperman said everyone was "bereft".

"This is criminal damage and an attack on one of the nation's most famous trees," Opperman said on social media.

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Sycamore Gap is pictured at sunset, near Henshaw, Northumberland, Britain February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Lee Smith/File Photo
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General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith
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General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith
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Police stand near the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith
 
Final update, I guess: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93969ln7zwo

Men jailed for felling 'irreplaceable' sycamore​

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Two men who chopped down the "irreplaceable" Sycamore Gap tree in an act of "sheer bravado" have each been jailed for four years and three months.

Daniel Michael Graham 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, were convicted of criminal damage after filming themselves using a chainsaw to illegally fell the landmark tree by Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland.

Sentencing them at Newcastle Crown Court, Mrs Justice Lambert rejected a claim of "drunken stupidity" and said, while a full motive was not clear, felling the tree and the ensuing outrage gave the men "some sort of thrill".

The National Trust, which owned the more than 100-year-old tree, said the landmark could "never be replaced".
The pair, whose friendship imploded in the aftermath as the public revulsion became clear to them, drove to the site under the cover of darkness in the early hours of 28 September 2023.

They used the winds of Storm Agnes to help them topple the tree on to the Unesco World Heritage Site wall, the court heard.

The value of the tree was disputed with prosecutors saying it was worth about £458,000 and Graham's team claiming it to be about £150,000, but Mrs Justice Lambert said the exact financial price did not really matter.


Prosecutors said a video was filmed of the moment the Sycamore Gap tree was felled.

The judge said the tree was a landmark of Northumberland and "symbol of the untamed beauty" of the landscape around Hadrian's Wall.

It was a place of "peace and tranquillity" which people returned to year after year, the judge said, adding it held great personal significance to many.

She said Carruthers used spray paint and a chainsaw to mark and then cut a wedge out of the tree, while Graham filmed it on his mobile phone.

Mrs Justice Lambert said a full motive was not clear, but she was "confident a major factor was sheer bravado," adding the action of felling the tree and the outrage it caused gave the men "some sort of thrill".

The men then "revelled in [their] notoriety" in the aftermath, the judge said.

She also rejected Carruthers' claim that he was drunk as the mission required skill and coordination as well as a "high degree" of planning by the two "experienced tree surgeons".

The tree had been planted in the late 1800s to be a "feature in the landscape", fulfilling that ambition and more by becoming a much-loved visitor destination and landmark at the former frontier of the Roman Empire.

It found global fame after featuring in a scene of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, and was popular with photographers and artists.

In a statement read to the court, National Trust manager Andrew Poad said: "This iconic tree can never be replaced."

He said the trust cared for the "totemic symbol" on behalf of the nation and it "belonged to the people".

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The tree's felling sparked global outrage.

The tree was a "place of sanctuary" for many and its destruction led to an "unprecedented" outpouring of love and emotion, Mr Poad said, with the "overwhelming sense of loss and confusion felt across the world".

He said the reason for the "malicious" and "mindless" vandalism was "beyond comprehension" and the way it was felled to land across the Roman wall was "reckless in the extreme".

But, he added that there were "signs of life" with shoots emerging from the stump, while seeds taken from the tree had been used to grow saplings which would be placed around the country.

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The tree, which was popular to photograph, had been planted in the 1800s to be a feature on the landscape.

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said there had been "significant planning" with the tree felled in a "deliberate and professional" manner.

The court heard both men had since admitted involvement in the expedition to probation officers.

In mitigation, Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney said the mechanic from Wigton would carry the burden of regret for his "stupid act" as a "personal penance" for the rest of his life.

Mr Gurney also said many people had asked why he did it, to which the reply was: "Unfortunately it is no more than drunken stupidity."

Christopher Knox, for Graham, said the groundworker from near Carlisle had had multiple struggles and mental health problems and had made a "serious attempt" to take his own life in December which resulted in a long hospital stay and then him being remanded into prison.

He also said people had attacked Graham's caravan and sent him hate mail showing "unpleasant" and "malign intent" towards him.
More info: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clymgm1v43vt
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn811px4m7mo
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree-sentencing-prison.html

tl;dr Two men, Daniel Michael Graham and Adam Carruthers, were sentenced yesterday to 4 years in prison for cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. They did it for antisocial & attention-seeking reasons (basically, for the thrill of seeing people dismayed at the news). They took a video of themselves cutting down the tree and were giddily texting each other the day after as the news spread. They also took a "trophy" of the tree (a large wedge) back home with them... very "serial killer"-esque.

Anyway, 4 years is considered a "harsh" sentence compared to what they were originally looking at (~6 months), but it's also mitigated by the UK's disastrously overcrowded prison system, which means they'll only have to serve 40% of their sentence behind bars.
IMO, they would be hanged in a just society. The lives of these antisocial scum are worth far less than a tree that was beloved by many.


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RIP tree. You are missed.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-72c404c5-35f2-4d43-bed1-1f5f1f7208dc
People can touch the old trunk at an exhibit at the Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre and seedlings grown from seeds collected from the fallen sycamore will be planted across the country.
 
Fuck those faggots. They should die in jail. Who in their right mind chops a tree that wasn't bothering anyone? It was beautiful and now the world is a little less beautiful because of those retards.

Does anyone know if they can try to regenerate a new tree from the stump? Some species are more receptive to that than others. Maybe plant a new tree in the same spot? I don't want us to give up on having beauty because of these two idiots.
 
Does anyone know if they can try to regenerate a new tree from the stump?
Sycamores can regenerate from literally nothing (especially all over my bloody garden) so yes, it'll regrow. It's already growing multiple sprouts from the roots, IIRC. One tree will become a thicket surrounding the stump.
 
lol at the idea that Britain puts any significant number of rape apes in prison..
There are loads in there, enough that they form the biggest gangs and routinely force people to convert to islam inside. It's hit a point that unconverted prisoners have to be kept in the special wing originally designated for terrorists, to keep them safe.
 
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