A man who was wrongly accused of chopping down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree has spoken out about the measures he’s taken to avoid public abuse.
Walter Renwick, 69, was arrested the day after the popular 150-year-old tree was felled in September 2023.
Lumberjack Walter was released without charge by December 2023, but by then everyone was convinced he was guilty. Internet sleuths surmised that because he had been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm near Bardon Mill, just a few miles from Hadrian’s Wall, he had a clear motive: chopping down the tree as revenge.
Of course, since then, the real culprits have been found guilty of criminal damage (these two absolute morons), but the public outcry against the tree felling means Walter is still associated with the Sycamore Gap.
Speaking to the BBC this week, Walter mentioned that he had resorted to wearing a Rod Stewart wig in order to avoid being recognised:
‘There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake, they were 100% certain I’d done it.
‘Every time I went shopping in Haltwhistle or Hexham, people were nudging each other and saying “that’s him that cut the tree down”, stuff like that.
‘I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn’t spot me.’
The reason Walter lost the tenancy that was once held by his grandfather and father was that it was not passed on to him, and so the last thing he needed after that was everyone accusing him of chopping down the tree in vengeance:
‘I’d just lost everything I had, my cows, my sheep, my parents’ stuff. I’d lost my home and then this.’
Poor guy. I know we all want to see a picture of Walter Renwick in a Rod Stewart wig but unfortunately, all the articles on this just include a picture of Rod Stewart himself, and we all know what he looks like already. But then I guess that would blow Walter’s cover more than him actually telling everyone that he wears a Rod Stewart wig in public.
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, were both found guilty by an unanimous jury of criminal damage at Newcastle crown court in May. Apparently the court case was an absolute comedy show, with the pair having fallen out since chopping down the tree and accusing each other of setting the other up.
Discussing the true culprits, Walter said:
‘I just keep asking myself why they did it.
‘Was it just attention seeking? I don’t know what it was but, for me at least, it’s over.
‘Actually, you know, the tree, that was one thing. But losing my farm. That was the thing that hurt most of all.’
Absolute bummer. Onwards and upwards, Walter!
For unreal footage of 4 people being struck by lightning while taking cover under a tree, click HERE.
