Daniel Graham Leaves Prison After Sycamore Gap Tree Conviction

Daniel Graham, 41, has been released from prison after serving 16 months plus time on remand for his role in the destruction of the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, England. The second man convicted over the September 2023 incident is now serving the remainder of his four-year-and-three-month sentence under licence in the community, according to reports published on October 12, 2026. Graham and former friend Adam Carruthers were sentenced in May 2025 after being found guilty of criminal damage to the internationally recognized tree and nearby Hadrian's Wall.

The landmark had stood in the landscape for more than a century and was felled in less than three minutes. The BBC reported that Carruthers was released in April 2026, while The Mirror reported his release in May. Graham spent approximately four months longer in custody, in part because he had spent more time on remand before trial.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice described the destruction as a serious offense and warned that released prisoners remain subject to supervision.

"The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree was a disgraceful crime. Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and can be returned to prison immediately if they breach them," a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said. The release follows a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, where prosecutors presented evidence connecting both men to the destruction. According to the BBC, Graham drove Carruthers to the site and recorded the tree being cut down on his phone, while Carruthers carried out the felling.

The court heard that the pair traveled more than 40 minutes from their homes and crossed dark moorland in stormy conditions to reach the tree. They were also convicted of damaging Hadrian's Wall when the tree fell. The BBC reported that the judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, determined that the men would serve 40% of their sentences in custody, with the remainder served under licence in the community.

The Mirror reported that the tree was valued at £622,191 and that the damage to Hadrian's Wall was valued at £1,144. Both defendants denied the criminal damage charges but were convicted following the trial, which included footage recovered from Graham's phone. The destruction of the tree attracted widespread attention because of its location beside the historic Roman wall and its popularity among visitors and photographers.

The tree also appeared in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Kevin Costner. According to the BBC, the men took a wedge from the tree as a trophy, but it has never been recovered. The tree's destruction in September 2023 prompted international condemnation and renewed attention to the loss of a well-known feature of Northumberland's landscape.