Felling of bicentennial tree results in 4 years in prison

In September 2023, in what authorities called an "act of vandalism," two men cut down a nearly 200-year-old sycamore tree that had become a landmark after appearing in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." About two months after being found guilty of cutting down the tree that earned the name Sycamore Gap, the men have now been sentenced to four years and three months in prison each .

In addition to felling the bicentennial tree, Daniel Graham (39 years old) and Adam Carruthers (32 years old) were also found guilty of causing damage to Hadrian's Wall, a historic landmark on which the tree fell when it was cut down, wrote the PA Media news agency, cited by CNN.

Men who cut down a century-old tree, destroying a world heritage site, go on trial in the UK

This wall was a border during the Roman Empire, stretching for more than 100 kilometers (from the west to the east of Great Britain), but when the two men cut down this tree in the Northumberland Natural Park, the ruin (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987) ended up being partially destroyed.

The two men first appeared in court on May 15. At the time, prosecutor Rebecca Brown, quoted by AP, said the cost of the damage to the two iconic landmarks exceeded 620,000 pounds (around 735,000 euros).

Daniel Graham pleaded not guilty, and Adam Carruthers did not enter a plea. According to CNN, when sentencing on Monday, the judge said the two men acted with "pure bravado." According to Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth, "the incomprehensible felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree has sparked outrage and upset many people." "Today, those who attempted to destroy this poignant symbol of Northumberland's nature have been held accountable," she concluded.