Two men are on trial for brutally cutting down “the most beautiful tree in Britain”.

Daniel Graham (38) and Adam Carruthers (31) are suspected of brutally killing Britain's most popular tree last September: cutting it close to the ground, with a chainsaw, cutting it in two straight halves. The British Public Prosecution Office announced on Tuesday that it would prosecute the men criminally. Graham and Carruthers are both from Cumbria, in northwest England.

The Sycamore Gap tree is located in Northumberland National Park in northeastern England. Since that September day, all that remains of the tree is the sycamore trunk, under which many weddings have been held and the ashes have been scattered, a reminder of what once was. Now with a gloomy hedge around it. It will take at least another 150 to 200 years before anything resembling a sycamore grows from the trunk.

Until then, the British primarily want justice for this act of sabotage. A 16-year-old boy and an older man in his 60s were arrested shortly after the incident, but were also released. Then the Thirty-Two appeared. They were released on bail, but are now being tried. According to police, they also destroyed part of the nearby (Emperor) Hadrian's Wall, a protected heritage site dating back 2,000 years.

Robin Hood Tree

Local residents heard nothing strange this early September morning. Storm Agnes roared across the plains of Northumberland National Park – where that tree stood out in the soft landscape – drowning the saw and the dull collapse that must have followed. But once the British learned about the event, the country became very small.

The tree was beloved by, and featured in, hikers, photographers and stargazers Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). In 2016, the sycamore tree was chosen as the most beautiful tree in Britain, with the prize money going to ensure its survival and protect its roots. These have become exposed due to the constant flow of visitors.

The nature of the sawing surface and the sharp saw marks left the police in no doubt. A “super-powerful perpetrator” has wreaked havoc here. The two suspects are scheduled to stand trial in Newcastle on May 15.

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