Two men were sentenced to more than four years in prison on Tuesday for felling Britain’s iconic 'Sycamore Gap' tree, a world-famous landmark whose striking silhouette was once featured in a Hollywood film.
Sentencing Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, to four years and three months in prison, Judge Christina Lambert told the men they had cut down the tree out of "sheer bravado".
“Mr. Carruthers, your account that you had so much to drink that you had no memory of what you did that night is not plausible. The tree felling demonstrated skill. It required deliberate and coordinated actions by you. As Mr.Graham commented the next day, having seen the photograph of the stump, you didn’t get a bad angle on the stump, and the job seemed professional,” said Judge Lambert.
Estimated to be almost 200-years-old, the sycamore tree stood in the middle of a deep natural hollow in the landscape alongside the historic Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, which made it a popular spot for photographers, hikers, and even marriage proposals.
The pair were found guilty last month of travelling from their homes in the middle of the night in September 2023 to deliberately cut it down using a chainsaw.
Described by the prosecutors as “moronic mission,” the pair filmed the act on Graham’s mobile phone and later bragged about it, before their friendship turned into hostility as their actions caused widespread anger.
Both had denied any involvement in the annihilation of the tree that was featured in the 1991 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'. The duo also damaged part of Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago.
Eventually, Graham and Carruthers did accept their responsibility when speaking to the probation officers, their lawyers said.
Carruthers’s lawyer, Andrew Gurney, described the crime as "drunken stupidity."
The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity responsible for the site, announced last August that new growth was visible at the tree’s base, raising hopes it could survive.
Meanwhile, last week, the Northumberland National Park said that the largest remaining section of the tree will be displayed in an installation near its original location.
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Colombian authorities on Wednesday located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (28 January), as it toppled trees, damaged homes, and disrupted road and rail traffic before moving inland to Spain.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
High-level diplomatic consultations were held in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Monday as Ankara seeks to solidify the fragile progress of the Gaza ceasefire and accelerate the delivery of life-saving assistance to the strip.
Residents in Syria’s Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli have stepped up volunteer patrols amid growing pressure from the country’s Islamist-led government, expressing deep mistrust of Damascus despite a fragile U.S.-backed ceasefire.
Liverpool confirmed direct qualification to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with a 6-0 win over Qarabağ at Anfield in their final league-phase match. Despite the setback, Qarabağ secured a play-off spot, with results elsewhere going in the Azerbaijani champions’ favour on the final matchday.
Colombian authorities on Wednesday located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is likely to increase its number of parliamentary seats and gain a majority in the lower house, a preliminary survey by the Nikkei newspaper showed on Thursday (29 January).
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (29 January) for talks he hopes will deepen economic ties, signalling a potential breakthrough after years of strained relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday (28 January) to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse. Tehran responded with a threat to strike back against the United States.
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