LISTEN: Anonymous call blaming Sycamore Gap felling on Wigton man

The trial of two men accused of chopping down the tree at Sycamore Gap is taking place at Newcastle Crown Court.

Prosecutors say groundworker Daniel Graham, 39, and mechanic Adam Carruthers, 32, drove from Carlisle overnight during Storm Agnes to the Northumberland landmark in September 2023.

The pair each deny two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to Hadrian’s Wall.

As part of proceedings today, the jury was played a recording of an anonymous call to the emergency services.

The call to the 101 number took place on August 23 last year and named Carruthers, of Wigton, as being responsible for the crimes.

Detective Inspector Calum Meikle, the officer in charge of the Northumbria Police inquiry, told the court he was absolutely certain that the caller was Graham, having checked the defendant’s phone records and seeing that the time of the anonymous call matched.

The court also heard from heard from Graham today, who said Carruthers had spoken of wanting to cut down the much-loved tree and asked him to take the blame for the crime because he had mental health issues and would be treated more leniently.

Earlier this week the jury was shown the video of the moment the tree was felled.

Yesterday, the court heard that Graham told police when he was interviewed about the incident that he was framed.

The trial continues.