Sycamore Gap tree felling trial delayed due to defendant illness

Daniel Graham was unable to attend Newcastle Crown Court alongisde his co-accused Adam Carruthers

Daniel Graham, pictured leaving court in August, was too ill to attend the trial (Getty)

One of the men accused of felling the famous Sycamore Gap tree and causing more than £620,000 of damage is too ill to stand trial, a court has heard.

Daniel Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, was unable to attend Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutors said.

His co-accused, Adam Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, was in the dock for proceedings.

Adam Carruthers appeared in the dock on Monday (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

Mrs Justice Lambert adjourned the trial, which had been scheduled to start on Monday, and said the next hearing will take place in the week commencing January 6.

The pair are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the much-photographed Northumberland tree.

They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the tree when it was felled overnight on 28 September 2023.

The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, and was a big draw for tourism.

The sycamore was removed with a crane and taken to a National Trust property for storage. A section of the trunk went on display at the park visitor center this fall and seeds from the tree that were used to grow saplings are being donated for planting around the U.K.

The tree and the wall were said to belong to the National Trust.