Man who felled Sycamore Gap tree released early

Adam Carruthers, 33, was sentenced alongside Daniel Graham, 39, in July last year after they caused criminal damage to the famous Sycamore Gap tree and Hadrian's Wall. The judge had stipulated they would serve 40% of their four-year and three-month sentence behind bars, with the remainder served on licence in the community. Carruthers, from Wigton in Cumbria, has now been released under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, a decision confirmed by the Ministry of Justice following a risk assessment by the jail governor. Individuals released under this scheme face strict licence conditions and must be electronically tagged, with the possibility of returning to prison if rules are broken.

The much-loved Sycamore Gap tree, which had stood for over a century in a dip in the Northumberland landscape, was felled in September 2023. The incident also caused criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall when the tree fell upon it. During their trial at Newcastle Crown Court, the pair's actions were described as a "moronic mission" to cut down the landmark. They traveled over 40 minutes from their homes, carrying equipment across dark moorland during a storm to commit the act.

Following the vandalism, which caused national and international outrage, Carruthers and Graham took a wedge from the tree as a trophy. They reportedly reveled in the extensive media coverage that followed. The court determined that Carruthers was responsible for cutting down the tree, while Graham drove him to the site and filmed the act on his phone.