One of the men accused of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree says he can’t understand the public outcry or media interest around it, claiming: “It’s just a tree.”

Adam Carruthers, 32, and Daniel Graham, 39, are accused of two counts of criminal damage to the tree and Hadrian’s Wall in September 2023.

According to prosecutors, Carruthers and Graham drove from Carlisle, Cumbria, overnight to cut down the tree, for no other reason than to be absolute c*nts.

At the trial at Newcastle Crown Court this week, Prosecutor Richard Wright KC asked Adam Carruthers: ‘Did you think, “this is all a bit silly, all this fuss about a tree… worldwide interest about a tree?’”

Carruthers replied: ‘Yeah, that’s correct.’

Mr Wright responded: ‘You couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about? It wasn’t as if anyone had been murdered?’

Carruthers replied: ‘Yeah, the amount of press coverage and publicity about it. I just thought it was a tree.

‘When it started appearing more and more and more, I was (thinking) “What’s going on here”?’

When asked why he showed so much interest in the tree the day after it was cut down, Carruthers said: ‘On the morning I woke up I had looked online and it was all over Facebook. I was thinking ‘what’s going on here?’. It was everywhere.

‘My understanding was it was just a tree, I couldn’t understand why everyone was sharing it, every second post, it was about this tree. I just couldn’t get my head round it.

‘The way it was travelling through the news, I was amazed how something so small could create so much publicity.’

Carruthers was then asked why he and Graham had texted each other about the tree the day after it was felled, with messages between the pair including: “Not a bad angle on that stump” and “It’s gone viral, it’s gone worldwide, it will be on ITV News tonight. It’s on f****** Sky News as we speak.”

There was also a voice note from Carruthers taking offence at a Facebook comment that described the felling of the tree as ‘weak’, and saying to Graham: “Weak? F****** weak? Does he know how heavy sh1t is? I’d like to see him launch an operation like we did last night… I don’t think he’s got the minerals.”

Carruthers’ explanation: ‘I think it’s been interpreted wrong: it should be “launch an operation like what he did last night”. I’m referring to the person who done the job.

‘I couldn’t really understand why there was such a major outbreak – it was almost as if someone had been murdered. Daniel was a friend of mine at the time. I sent it across, it was everywhere.’

Carruthers told the court he had ‘no idea’ who was responsible and that ‘nothing was ever mentioned to him that (Graham) had anything to do with it’.

Interestingly, the friendship between Carruthers and Graham has since come to an end, with Carruthers explaining to the court how Graham came up to him at work one day and said: ‘I’m going to go my way and you’re going to go yours – I believe you have been grassing on me.’

Here they are in happier times:

Carruthers denied he had ‘grassed up’ Graham and also denied he had a fixation on the tree.

I’m not sure if there’s that much actual evidence against these two (aside from the texts) as of now, but it’s quite clear from the court reporting that we’re dealing with a pair of absolute thickos here. Apparently when one of their incriminating voicemails were played in court, one of the men outright denied it was him talking, even though it blatantly, 100% was.

I think a lot of people were expecting the Sycamore Gap Tree culprit to be a p1ssed off farmer with an axe to grind against the National Trust, but it’s looking more likely that it was just a couple of d1ckheads who are the sort to get a thrill out of kicking over traffic cones or dustbins. Although obviously cutting down one of the famous trees in England is taking that kind of behaviour to the next level extreme.

A p1ssed off farmer would have better somehow, because at least there would be some kind of reasoning behind it. When there’s no other motive than just sh1ts and giggles, it really is a sad state of affairs. Can’t wait for the judge’s summing up comments once the jury has deliberated and delivered their verdict.

For unreal footage of 4 people being struck by lightning while taking cover under a tree, click HERE.