Two men found guilty of ‘mindless, moronic’ felling of Sycamore Gap tree

Daniel Graham (left) and Adam Carruthers embarked on a ‘moronic mission’ that was the ‘arboreal equivalent of mindless thuggery’, the court was told. Composite: PA

Two friends who embarked on a “moronic mission” to fell the Sycamore Gap tree with a chainsaw have been found guilty of “mindless” criminal damage.

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, cut down the cherished tree, next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, as Storm Agnes raged in the early hours of 28 September 2023.