Men guilty of felling much-loved British 'Sycamore Gap' tree

LONDON (Reuters) - Two men were found guilty on Friday of cutting down Britain's 'Sycamore Gap' tree two years ago, felling the much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie in what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission".

The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historic Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals.

Such was its fame that it featured in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and its felling in September 2023 provoked widespread grief and anger.

Prosecutor Richard Wright told jurors at Newcastle Crown Court last month that Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were responsible for the "mindless vandalism", expertly and deliberately cutting it down with a chainsaw.

The felling also caused damage to part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Graham and Carruthers, who travelled to the site in the Northumberland National Park from their homes in the Carlisle area, about 25 miles away, had denied any involvement. But they were convicted by the jury of two counts of criminal damage.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James)