Two men have been charged with damaging the iconic 300-year-old Sycamore Gap tree. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the men Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, have been charged with causing criminal damage to the tree alongside Hadrian’s Wall last September in Northumberland.
The felling of the famous tree, which was featured in 1991 movie Robin Hood, prompted a national outcry last year. It cut down overnight between September 27 and 28 in a “deliberate act of vandalism,” MirrorOnline reports.
The trunk of the iconic tree was removed on October 12 after it was first cut into smaller pieces. It was then stored in an undisclosed location.
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Earlier this year it was reported that the felled world-famous tree could go on display in a bid to preserve its legacy. Northumberland National Park said in March that the largest section of the felled tree would go on display at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, a tourist attraction near Sycamore Gap, in September.
Specialist prosecutor for CPS North East’s Complex Casework Unit Gary Forthergill said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Northumbria Police to charge Daniel Graham and Adam with causing criminal damage after the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down last September. They have also been charged with causing criminal damage to Hadrian’s Wall and will appear at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court on 15 May 2024.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
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