Overview

• Newcastle Crown Court on July 15 handed Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers four years and three months each for cutting down the landmark tree plus a concurrent six-month term for damaging Hadrian’s Wall.
• Judge Christina Lambert noted the operation showed a high degree of planning and rejected defenses of intoxication or depression.
• Prosecutors estimated combined damages at over £458,000, highlighting video footage and incriminating messages recovered from the defendants’ phones.
• Evidence detailed how the pair drove from Cumbria in storm conditions, used a chainsaw to fell the tree while one recorded the act and later shared the footage.
• The court ordered confiscation of their Range Rover and Graham’s mobile phone and mandated at least 40 percent custodial service before eligibility for release.