Two men used a chain saw to deliberately reduce the famous Gap Sycamore tree in northern England in a “silly mission” a year and a half ago, and the felling was filmed in a cell phone, a prosecutor in Northantern England saidnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnayed.
The tree, a beloved milestone that was stopped by Hadrian’s wall, a Unesco World Heritage site, was found illegally cut in September 2023.
The trial for the two defendants in the case: Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Casers, 32, both of Cumbria, England, opened Tuesday in Newcastle Crown Court, in the northeast of England, less than an hour by car from where the touches of the tree.
The men declared themselves innocent of two charges of criminal damage. Presenting the case against the defendants on Tuesday, the prosecutor, Richard Wright, described the logging as a “silly mission” and an “act of deliberate and meaningless criminal damage.”
He told the jury that Mr. Graham and Mr. Carruthers had led to the site from the nearby city of Carlisle on September 27, 2023, to deliberately cut the tree.
Mr. Wright said the tree had been cut with a chain saw in minutes, using methods that indicated the specialized knowledge of felling, and that the act had been filmed on Mr. Graham’s phone.
The prosecutor told the Court that a tree cut from the tree had later photographed the leg next to a chain saw in the Range Rover of Mr. Graham. “This was perhaps a trophy of the scene to remind them of their actions,” Wright said, “actions that seem to have that they delight in the legs.”
The prosecutors said that the evidence gathered from the phones of the defendants suggested that they had shared publications on social networks and international news reports after the talled tree was discovered.
The Prosecutor’s Office said that Mr. Graham, owner of a construction company, and Mr. Carruthers, who worked in maintenance of properties and mechanics, were friends and had knocked down another big tree together a month earlier.
The charges of criminal damage they face are related to the tree and the part of the Hadrian wall, the Roman fortification that extends 70 miles in the north of England, in which it collapsed.
The trial is expected to continue for two weeks. When the men were accused in April 2024, the superior officer in the case, the head of detective Rebecca Fenney, asked the public members not to speculate online about the crime or the accused.
“We recommend the strength of feeling in the local community and advanced felling,” he said in a statement. “However, we would remind people to avoid speculation, including online, which could affect the ongoing case.”
Many had cried the destruction of the tree, an icon that was on the wall of Hadrian, which occupied the Roman army built in the second century.
The tree had a long leg marker and a memory manufacturer: a site of wedding proposals and memory ceremonies, a sentry in family vacation photos of a life in life, recorded to move on to the walks of the world. “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” also appeared in the 1991 film.
I was almost 200 years old when it was illegally reduced.
In August, Ranger saw a few outbreaks near its base, an unexpected sign of new life, and seeds and genetic material that scientists gathered last year have also begun to grow. The National Trust intends to give 49 young people next year to spread the legacy of the tree.
That number is intentional, according to Andrew Poad, the general manager of Hadrian’s Wall, which is partly administered by the National Trust. The tree was 49 feet when it was carved. And young trees will have approximately one foot in height when they are given to their recipients.
