If a Beloved Tree Falls in the U.K…. Everyone Is Outraged. Why 2 Men Were Convicted for 'Moronic Mission'

Two men were recently convicted of cutting down the famed Sycamore Gap tree in 2023 — a beloved British landmark — in what a prosecutor called their “moronic mission.”

On Friday, May 9, a Newcastle Crown Court jury found 39-year-old Daniel Graham and 32-year-old Adam Carruthers guilty of two counts of criminal damage connected to the felling of the tree in September 2023 and the resulting damage to the historic Hadrian’s Wall, according to a release from the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service.

The tree, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, was notably featured in 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and has been standing near the Hadrian’s Wall since it was planted in the late 19th century, per the CPS.

But around the night of Sept. 27, 2023 — and the early hours of Sept. 28 — Carruthers and Graham traveled from Carlisle to Northumberland and cut the tree down with a chainsaw before returning to Carlisle with a section of it.

“For over a century, Sycamore Gap has been an iconic natural landmark in the North East of England, bringing immeasurable joy to those visiting the area,” Gale Gilchrist, chief prosecutor at CPS North East, said in a statement. “In just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction.”

As Gilchrist recounted, news of the pair’s mission “spread the following day,” as they were “revelling in the public outcry they had caused.”

“Thanks to an outstanding investigation on the part of our police partners, the Crown Prosecution Service was able to build a robust case against both men and bring them to trial,” the prosecutor added. “The international reaction of disapproval and anger following the destruction at Sycamore Gap illustrates how keenly the public has felt the loss of this beloved site, and we hope our community can take some measure of comfort in seeing those responsible convicted today.”

Carruthers and Graham will be sentenced at a later date, per the CPS.

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According to CBS News, which cites Justice Christina Lambert, the men will be sentenced on July 15, with them facing “a lengthy period” in jail. The maximum criminal damage sentence is 10 years in prison, per the outlet.

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC called the crime both a “moronic mission” and the “arboreal equivalent of mindless thuggery,” according to The Guardian, which noted that the men’s trial lasted eight days.

During the trial, the jury saw footage from Graham’s phone — which was later sent to Carruthers — of the tree being cut down, according to CBS. The prosecutor said that while it was unclear who cut the tree, both men were the only two who had access to the footage.

Both men also apparently discussed coverage of their crime via text and voice messages the following day, with Wright sharing that he believed they did it for “a bit of a laugh.” They later testified that they each had nothing to do with it, with Graham putting the blame on Carruthers, according to CBS.

“Up and down the country and across the world, the reaction of all right-thinking people to the senseless felling of the Sycamore Gap tree has been one of sadness and anger,” Wright said, per The Guardian. “Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone do such a thing? Take something beautiful and destroy it for no good reason.”

He added: “Far from being the big men they thought they were, everyone else thought that they were rather pathetic.”

The value of the tree will also likely play a factor in sentencing, with prosecutors originally claiming it was estimated around $830,000 — with an additional $1,500 for the wall damages, according to CBS News. Prosecutor Rebecca Brown later said the figures are likely lower.

Northumbria Police said following the sentencing, per the BBC, that the men did not give an explanation for the crime and that there could “never be a justifiable one.”