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Two men have appeared in court on Wednesday in connection with the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree - which has been valued at £620,000 in criminal damage.
Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, have been charged with causing the damage, the Crown Prosecution Service said. They are on bail.
Graham entered pleas of not guilty, while Carruthers entered no plea.
There was a national outcry in September when the much-loved, centuries-old tree in rural Northumberland was found to have been cut down.
The tree, believed to have been one of the most photographed in the country, used to sit in a gap along Hadrian’s Wall – a Unesco world heritage site – and a popular hotspot for tourists and walkers.
Its origins are believed to have dated back to medieval times and it has been excavated on two previous occasions – between 1908 and 1911 and again between 1982 and 1987 – when Roman remains linked to Hadrian’s Wall were found.
Northumberland National Park (NNP) said it had received 2,000 “heartfelt” messages from people from all around the world expressing sadness and that it had been inundated with offers of help.
Pictures show the two men accused leaving court
Court sketch shows two men accused in connection with the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree
Daniel Graham, 38, (left)of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 31, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, appeared in the dock at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.
They are accused of causing £622,191 worth of damage to the much-photographed Sycamore Gap tree
Loss of Sycamore Gap tree caused ‘serious distress’, court hears
During the hearing, Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said that the tree was “instantly recognisable”.
She said the cost of the damage to the tree was assessed using the Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees (CAVAT) tool used by local authorities to work out the level of compensation needed to replace a tree.
Ms Brown said factors involved in the calculation involved the size of the tree, its type and the number of people who had access to it.
The lawyer said the loss of the tree had caused “serious distress”, as well as economic and social damage.
The case was “complex” and involved cell site analysis, number plate recognition technology, botany, evaluation of the tree and “image enhancement”, she said.
Case ‘too serious’ for magistrates’ court, judge says
A district judge said that the case of two men accused of felling the famous Sycamore Gap tree was so serious that it must be dealt with at the crown court.
Daniel Graham, 38, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 31, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are accused of causing £622,191 worth of damage to the much-photographed tree.
They are also accused of causing £1,144 worth of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the falling tree when it was felled overnight on September 28.
Both the tree and the wall were said to belong to the National Trust.
Graham entered pleas of not guilty, while Carruthers entered no plea.
District Judge Zoe Passfield declined jurisdiction, saying: “This case is too serious to be heard in the magistrates’ court.”
The pair will attend Newcastle Crown Court on June 12 for their next hearing and they were both granted unconditional bail in the meantime.
More pictures of the defendants at court
Accused men pictured outside court
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were pictured leaving Newcastle Upon Tyne Magistrates’ Court after appearing in connection with the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree.
The much-photographed tree, which stood next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland for 200 years, was chopped down in September last year, causing a national outrage.
Graham and Carruthers face charges of criminal damage to the tree and to the wall, which is a World Heritage Site.
A man accused of felling the famous Sycamore Gap tree has denied charges of criminal damage.
Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Graham, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, entered pleas of not guilty, while Carruthers, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, entered no pleas.
The pair are charged with criminal damage to property of a value over £5,000, namely “without lawful excuse, damaged a sycamore tree to the value of £622,191 belonging to the National Trust”.
They face a second charge of criminal damage to property valued under £5,000, namely Hadrian’s Wall, with the damage assessed to the Unesco World Heritage Site as being £1,144.
Both offences were alleged to have been committed on September 28 last year.
Pictured: Felled Sycamore Gap tree
Sycamore Gap tree to go on public display after row
The fate of the felled Sycamore Gap tree has been decided as it is set to be displayed at a tourist attraction near its original site.
There was an outcry when the tree was illegally chainsawed in September, with Northumberland National Park saying it had received 2,000 “heartfelt” messages from people from all around the world expressing sorrow.
Historic England said Hadrian’s Wall had suffered damage when it was felled in an act of vandalism, and the future of the famed tree has been uncertain until now.
When was it cut down?
Reports first emerged that the tree had been felled overnight on 27 September, with Northumberland police vowing to bring those responsible to justice.
The National Trust, which manages the land where the tree stood, said it was “shocked and saddened” to learn of the news.
It subsequently closed the site where the tree was located.
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2024-05-15 16:43:54Z
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