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last mo.

Four-Year Prison Terms for Men Who Felled Sycamore Gap Tree

The ruling arrives with the National Trust nurturing new shoots on the stump in preparation for winter replanting.

Un chêne vieux de plusieurs siècles, estimé à jusqu’à 500 ans, a été abattu dans le parc de Whitewebbs, au nord de Londres, suscitant l’indignation du public.
Image
Vue aérienne du Sycamore Gap Tree abattu, le long du mur d'Hadrien près de Hexham dans le nord de l'Angleterre, le 28 septembre 2023
Le Sycamore Gap tree, érable sycomore près du mur d'Hadrien, abattu par deux hommes, photographié le 28 septembre 2023

Overview

  • On July 15, the Court of Newcastle sentenced Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers to four years and three months each for using a chainsaw to fell the 19th-century Sycamore Gap Tree in September 2023.
  • Judges highlighted the high degree of planning involved and accepted prosecution figures that put restoration costs, including damage to the UNESCO-listed Hadrian’s Wall, at about £458,000.
  • Neither defendant has offered a clear motive, dismissing the landmark as “just a tree” despite global condemnation of its destruction.
  • The National Trust has recorded fresh shoots emerging from the stump and cultivated 49 young plants from collected seeds for public replanting next winter.
  • Visitors to Northumberland National Park can now view a permanent installation carved from the original trunk, designed to honor the tree’s cultural significance.