Two men convicted of cutting down England’s iconic Sycamore Gap tree

A Newcastle, England, jury on Friday convicted Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers of criminal damage for felling the beloved tree in September 2023. The charges also included damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a location listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list of cultural sites. The two are scheduled for sentencing on July 15 and could face up to 10 years in prison, the Associated Press reported.

The roughly 150-year-old tree was a well-known landmark between two hills in Northumberland National Park. The men in court denied accusations that they’d cut it down, blaming each other for the crime. Prosecutors assembled digital evidence, including a video of the tree’s felling and text messages celebrating the international outcry, to build their case, the Associated Press reported.

Northumbria Police Superintendent Kevin Waring after the trial described the crime as an act of mindless vandalism, according to a Newcastle Chronicle video.

What’s next for the Sycamore Gap site? The Hadrian’s Wall National Trust on Friday said it would focus on creating a positive legacy for the tree, including planting 49 sycamores grown from the original tree in communities around the U.K. The stump of the original tree has also formed new shoots, a Northumberland National Park spokesperson said Friday.