Sycamore Gap tree - latest: Second man denies causing £620,000 worth of damage to landmark as trial date set

A second man has denied felling the famous Sycamore Gap tree and allegedly causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Adam Carruthers, 31, is accused of causing £622,191 worth of damage to the much-photographed tree and causing £1,144 worth of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.

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

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 and was 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 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.

Key Points

• Second man denies felling Sycamore Gap tree

Defendant Adam Carruthers pictured at court

11:35 , Holly Evans

Trial date set

11:15 , Holly Evans

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

He set a case management hearing for August 27.

Co-accused Daniel Graham had previously denied the same offences at a magistrates’ court hearing.

Second man denies felling Sycamore Gap tree

11:00 , Holly Evans

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.

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.

Previous court sketch shows two men accused of felling tree

10:42 , Holly Evans

A previous court sketch from their last hearing shows Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham in the dock of Newcastle magistrates court.

Why was the Sycamore Gap tree so significant?

10:05 , Holly Evans

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 - in rural Northumberland and was a popular hotspot for tourists, walkers and others.

It is believed to have dated back to medieval times and has been excavated on two occasions - between 1908 and 1911 and again between 1982 and 1987, when Roman remains linked to Hadrian’s Wall were found.

The sycamore perhaps first became known around the globe after featuring in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman.

Sycamore Gap tree given new life at top-secret lab

09:59 , Holly Evans

In case you missed this piece from March:

Shoots from the rescued seeds and twigs of the Sycamore Gap have sprung up in a secret National Trust laboratory, fuelling hopes the iconic tree will regrow after it was cut down with a chainsaw.

Scientists acted fast, grabbing young cuttings thrown to the ground when the tree fell before whisking them off to a high-security Devon greenhouse guarding genetic copies of the UK’s most precious plants.

Five months on in the lab which keeps its exact location shrouded in mystery, tiny shoots are regrowing with nine grafted plants and 50 seedling clones that could be used as back-up in case the stump doesn’t regrow naturally.

Read the full article here:

Sycamore Gap tree given new life at top-secret lab

Welcome to our live blog

09:51 , Holly Evans

Welcome to our live coverage as two men appear in court charged with felling the Sycamore Gap tree last September.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates here