In 2023, two men, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, were convicted for cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic tree was renowned for its beauty and presence in the film 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'. Prosecutors described their actions as a mindless act of vandalism, taking just under three minutes to fell a piece of heritage that had stood for nearly 200 years. Following five hours of deliberation, the court found them guilty, highlighting the senselessness of their motivations.
On the night of September 27, 2023, the two men drove to the site and sliced through the trunk of the tree in a matter of minutes, prosecutor Richard Wright said. Having completed their moronic mission, the pair got back into the Range Rover and travelled back towards Carlisle where they lived, he added.
After about five hours of deliberation, the pair were convicted on two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and the wall, which was damaged when the tree fell on it.
We often hear references made to mindless acts of vandalism, but that term has never been more relevant than today, Northumbria Police's Kevin Waring said after the conviction.
Gale Gilchrist, from the Crown Prosecution Service North, said in just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its [the tree's] historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction.
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