Welp, they really did it. Two dudes just got hauled into court for doing the most brainless thing Britain’s seen in ages — chainsawing down the famous Sycamore Gap tree. You know the one — next to Hadrian’s Wall, looked like it was pulled straight outta Middle-earth, starred in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Yeah, THAT tree.
According to reports, Daniel Graham (39) and Adam Carruthers (32), both from Cumbria, rolled up to the beloved tourist hotspot in September 2023 and allegedly went full lumberjack — chainsaw and all. But this wasn’t some tragic accident. Nope. Prosecutors say it was a straight-up “moronic mission” — and they even FILMED it.
As first reported by The Times, the duo marked the 200-year-old tree with spray paint, cut it with surgical precision, and took a wedge of it as a souvenir. Because apparently committing an iconic act of vandalism wasn’t enough — they needed a trophy too.
And let’s talk numbers: knocking down the tree caused over £622,000 in damage. Oh, and it messed up Hadrian’s freakin’ Wall too — a UNESCO World Heritage site, no big deal. 🙃
The public? Fuming. The Sycamore Gap tree wasn’t just any tree — it was a national treasure. Instagram loved it. Hikers worshipped it. Hollywood shot movies under it. And now? Gone, thanks to what prosecutors are calling an act of “mindless” criminal damage.
Graham and Carruthers are denying it all, by the way. Trial’s underway at Newcastle Crown Court, and jurors have been told to keep emotions in check. Good luck with that — have you seen how mad the internet is?
But hey, in a surprise twist of Mother Nature sass, the tree’s stump is sprouting new growth. Yep, it might make a comeback like it’s Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. 🌱
Until then, Britain’s most photogenic tree has become a courtroom drama — and these two guys are center stage for all the wrong reasons.
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