Guilty: Two Men Convicted of Cutting Down Iconic Sycamore Gap Tree

Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers have been found guilty of felling the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland — a deliberate act of vandalism that shocked the nation.

The two men were convicted at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, 9 May 2025, of criminal damage to the 150-year-old tree and £1,114 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall. The Sycamore Gap tree, a national landmark featured in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, was valued at £622,000.
Northumbria Police Superintendent Kevin Waring said:

“There is no justification for what they did. This was an unfathomable act.”

Both men denied the charges but were unanimously convicted by a jury. They will be sentenced on 15 July.

Legacy Lives On

Although the tree is gone, its legacy will live on. The National Trust has preserved twigs, seeds, and saplings. Forty-nine saplings will be planted across the UK as “trees of hope”, while the largest surviving section of the original tree will go on display at the National Landscape Discovery Centre later this year.

Tony Gates, CEO of Northumberland National Park, said:

“The enormity of the loss can’t be overstated. This place meant so much to so many people — emotionally and spiritually.”

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