Sycamore Gap accused ‘not trained for large trees’

A man accused of felling the world famous Sycamore Gap tree told police he did not have the skill or experience to do the job.

The tree had grown in a dip on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland for more than 100 years before it was felled in a “moronic mission” in the early hours of 28 September 2023, Newcastle Crown Court has heard.

Daniel Michael Graham, 39, from Carlisle and Adam Carruthers, 32, from Wigton in Cumbria, each deny two counts of criminal damage relating to the tree and the Roman wall.

In his interview with Northumbria Police, Mr Graham said he had been falsely accused amid an ongoing feud with others.

Jurors were previously told the tree was a much-loved landmark and had global significance for its position on the former frontier of the Roman empire.

On the night of 27 September, Mr Carruthers and Mr Graham made a 40-minute drive in the latter’s Range Rover from Cumbria to chop the tree down, prosecutors allege.

The felling was filmed on Mr Graham’s phone and the pair took a wedge cut of the trunk home as a “trophy”, jurors have heard.

A video analyst said there was “no doubt” a car boot depicted in a picture of a wedge of wood and chainsaw was that of Mr Graham’s Range Rover, jurors heard.

The image was taken a couple of hours after the tree was felled and a forensic botanist said there was “very strong evidence” the wedge, which has not been recovered by police, had come from the Sycamore Gap tree, the court heard.

The pair were both arrested on 31 October and taken for police interview, the transcript of which jurors were read on the third day of the trial.

Asked at the outset of his hour and 20 minute-long interview if he was responsible for felling the tree, Mr Graham replied: “No.”

He said he only knew what everyone else did from the news and had gone to the site in the days afterwards to have a look at the felled tree, the court heard.

Mr Graham said he had been to the tree previously to do “the same as everyone else does”, namely going for a walk and staying nearby in his campervan.

He told officers he did not know who had cut it down but did know who had put his name forward as a suspect, adding: “I’m going to get my own back.”

Mr Graham said he and Mr Carruthers were embroiled in a dispute with others and it was their rivals who posted the accusations about the tree on Facebook.

Mr Graham said there was nothing on his iPhone 13 which would link him to the felling, adding: “I’ve got no worries about anything on that phone, nothing at all.”

He said he did not have “a clue” what he had done on the night of 27 September as it was a month before, but added he “didn’t do much” and would either have been at home or with a friend or his girlfriend, who he referred to as his “bird”.

Mr Graham said he ran a groundworks company, DM Graham Groundworks, making “everything from house foundations, patios and fencing, the lot, it all depends on the weather”.

He said he had three or four chainsaws at his yard which police would find “if they looked with their eyes”.

Asked if he knew how to fell trees, Mr Graham said he could so small and medium ones and directed police to look at his Facebook page to see what work he had done.

“I’ve never done a large fell,” he said, adding he had done “pretty high trees” but “nothing with major diameter”.

Mr Graham was asked how he would cut down a large tree, to which he replied he would cut a notch in the front to mark the direction of fall then chop a wedge out the back, which jurors have heard is the “hinge-and-wedge” technique used to fell the sycamore.

He also said he left the keys in all his vehicles, including his Range Rover, and they were free for anyone to use.

Mr Graham said his “good pal” Mr Carruthers had used his Range Rover before and done tree felling work for him, adding: “I can put him up a tree with ropes and not worry he is going to come down.”

Asked if Mr Carruthers ever stayed at his overnight, Mr Graham said “definitely not” and asked if police thought they were gay, the court heard.

The trial continues.