A second defendant accused of felling the famous Sycamore Gap tree and causing more than £620,000 of damage has denied the offences.
Adam Carruthers, 31, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to deny causing £622,191 worth of damage to the much-photographed Northumberland tree.
He also denied causing £1,144 worth of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the tree when it was felled overnight on September 28 2023.
Co-accused Daniel Graham, 38, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, did not attend the hearing as he was “unavoidably detained”, his barrister Christopher Knox said.
Graham had previously denied the same offences at a magistrates’ court hearing.
Both the tree and the wall were said to belong to the National Trust.
Judge Paul Sloan KC set a trial date of December 3 and granted Carruthers conditional bail in the meantime.
He set a case management hearing for August 27.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article