UK

Second man denies felling Sycamore Gap tree

Adam Carruthers appeared at Newcastle Crown Court where he denied causing more than £620,000 worth of damage to the Northumberland tree.

Two men are accused of felling Sycamore Gap in Northumberland
Two men are accused of felling Sycamore Gap in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA)
By Tom Wilkinson, PA

A second defendant accused of felling the famous Sycamore Gap tree and causing more than £620,000 of damage has denied the offences.

Adam Carruthers, 31, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to deny causing £622,191 worth of damage to the much-photographed Northumberland tree.

He also denied causing £1,144 worth of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the tree when it was felled overnight on September 28 2023.

Court sketch of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers in the dock at an earlier hearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court
Court sketch of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers in the dock at an earlier hearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

Co-accused Daniel Graham, 38, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, did not attend the hearing as he was “unavoidably detained”, his barrister Christopher Knox said.

Graham had previously denied the same offences at a magistrates’ court hearing.

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Both the tree and the wall were said to belong to the National Trust.

Judge Paul Sloan KC set a trial date of December 3 and granted Carruthers conditional bail in the meantime.

He set a case management hearing for August 27.