Sycamore Gap trial live: Jury shown photo of tree wedge ‘kept as trophy’ by suspects – UK Times

As has been previously been put forward by the prosecution in the case, a wedge was taken out of the tree as part of a “hinge and wedge technique” to take down the tree.

That wedge has never been found.

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the jury that it was taken away from the scene in suspect Daniel Graham’s Range Rover.

Two photographs and two videos of a piece of wood and a chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle were taken, using Graham’s phone, at his home address, just after 2am on September 28.

A forensic video analyst concluded there was “no doubt” the vehicle was the same as Graham’s Range Rover, the jury was told.

Mr Wright added: “A forensic botanist has confirmed that there is very strong evidence to support the hypothesis that the piece of wood in the video and images is the wedge that was taken from Sycamore Gap.

“This was perhaps a trophy taken from the scene to remind them of their actions, actions that they appear to have been revelling in.”

As the jury has been told, three chainsaws were seized in searches during the arrests of both suspects; Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham.

The pair are charged with two counts of criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian’s Wall, overnight on September 28 2023.

When police first arrested Graham at his home in Carlisle on 31 October 2023, his home was searched and two chainsaws were seized from a work shed, the jury was told this morning.

And when Carruthers was arrested for a second time on 3 November 2023, the Old Fuel Depot site in Wigton, where he lived in a caravan, was searched with a chainsaw found in a shipping container.

None of the chainsaws found in the searches are said to be the one used in felling the Sycamore Gap tree, jurors has been told.

A short break now the reading of agreed facts to the jury has concluded.

Here’s a timeline of the alleged incidents up to the chopping down of the Sycamore Gap tree, and afterwards.

It is from evidence produced by the prosecution in the trial. We are yet to hear the case from both defendants.

The jury is now told how suspect Adam Carruthers’ father’s house in Wigton, Cumbria, was also searched by police in November.

Junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown tells jurors: “The reason for the search was to look for outstanding property, namely a chainsaw and a wedge from the tree.”

Ms Brown says the house was “extremely cluttered with access to most rooms difficult because of this” and there was no sign of any chainsaws or a wedge from a tree.

The house was also searched, she says, for chainsaw parts, chainsaw packaging; felling equipment, mobile phones, receipts of any relevant purchases, banking details, silver spray paint, clothing stained in silver paint and relevant footwear.

None of these items were discovered.

Junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown is now detailing the arrests of both suspects – Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham.

Carruthers was first arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on October 31 2023 at the caravan where he was living at The Old Fuel Depot at Kirkbride Airfield, Wigton.

A month later, he was arrested for a second time, with a chainsaw found in a shipping container at The Old Fuel Depot site.

Now the jury is being told about Daniel Graham’s arrest, at his home at Millbeck Stables, Carlisle, on October 31 2023.

His home was searched, junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown says, and inside a jacket pocket hanging in a caravan was a mobile phone which was seized.

Two chainsaws were also seized from a work shed.

As part of the agreed facts read out by junior prosecution counsel Rebecca Brown, the jury is told about pictures and video on Daniel Graham’s mobile phone showing a piece of wood and a large chainsaw in the boot of a vehicle.

The pictures was taken on 28 September at 2am, the night the tree was felled.

They have been compared with images taken by a scenes of crime officer of Graham’s Range Rover.

Ms Brown said forensic video analyst Emiliano Polito conducted a vehicle comparison and found that “there is no doubt that vehicle X (the vehicle in the images and videos) and the recovered vehicle (Graham’s Range Rover) are the same vehicle”.

Following yesterday’s adjournment, the trial has resumed with the prosecution going through more agreed facts with the jury.

These are events and evidence that all legal parties agree on as fact.

Jurors were played voice notes said to have been shared between the two suspects as news for the tree coming down made national headlines.

The jury heard that Graham sent a voice note to Carruthers using his nickname, saying: “Jeffrey, it’s gone viral, it’s gone worldwide, it will be on ITV News tonight.”

Later, Graham sent another message saying: “Jeffrey, it’s on f****** Sky News as we speak.”

Earlier in the trial, prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the jury the pair were “revelling in” what they had done.

Yesterday, the jury heard from police analyst Amy Sutherland, who took members through messages between Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers on the morning of September 28 2023 about news coverage of the tree felling.

In one message Graham said to Carruthers: “Not a bad angle on that stump”, adding: “That’s clearly a professional.”

One screenshot sent by Carruthers to Graham showed Facebook comments with a circle around one that said: “Judging by the quality of the cut and size of tree I would say whoever it was has knowledge of how to fell large trees.”

The jury heard there was another comment underneath a man called Kevin Hartness saying: “Some weak people that walk this earth disgusting behaviour.”

Jurors were played a voice note from Graham to Carruthers saying: “That Kevin Hartness comment. Weak… f****** weak? Does he realise how heavy shit is?”

Carruthers replied with his own voice note saying: “I’d like to see Kevin Hartness launch an operation like we did last night… I don’t think he’s got the minerals.”