Overview

• Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, are on trial for causing over £623,000 in damage to the Sycamore Gap tree and Hadrian’s Wall in September 2023.
• Prosecutors allege the men used a chainsaw to fell the 300-year-old tree and took a wedge of its trunk as a trophy, but neither the chainsaw nor the wedge has been recovered.
• Forensic analysis links Graham’s Range Rover to the scene, with videos and photos on his phone showing a chainsaw and wood in the vehicle’s boot shortly after the tree was felled.
• Both men deny the charges, with Graham claiming he was framed as part of a personal dispute and Carruthers stating he lacks the skill and experience to fell a tree of that size.
• The trial, now in its third day, continues as jurors hear conflicting accounts and examine evidence, including vehicle comparisons and police interviews.