A man accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree tried to ‘drop’ his co-defendant in it, claiming in an anonymous call to police that he had the chainsaw used to chop it down and a missing chunk allegedly kept as a ‘trophy’.
Daniel Graham, 39, spoke to police on the 101 service in August last year and told a call handler that his co-defendant, Adam Carruthers, was in possession of part of the tree, chainsaws and even firearms, it is alleged.
Graham and Carruthers were arrested in connection with the felling of the tree in October 2023, but even by August last year Graham was so desperate to pin the blame on Carruthers that he called the police himself, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Andrew Gurney, for Carruthers, then played the call to the jury. The male caller, speaking to a call-handler, said: ‘I tried to phone Cumbria Police to report some information, they said I need to speak to Northumbria Police.’
The caller then declined to give his name or number and when asked what the call was about replied: ‘Sycamore Gap.’
When asked what the information was, he replied: ‘One of the lads that done it, Adam Carruthers, has got the saws back in his possession. They were being held by another male by the name of Lindsay Dalgleish. They were being held in Annan.’
The caller said two of the saws were now in Wigton, Cumbria, at the home of Carruthers’ mother. He added that Mr Dalgleish had another eight saws ‘and they have the same oil in them’ as the one used to cut down the tree.
Prosecutors told Newcastle Crown Court photos were found on Daniel Graham’s phone after his arrest showing a piece of the Sycamore Gap tree and a chainsaw in the back of his Range Rover
Groundworker Daniel Graham (left), 39, and mechanic Adam Carruthers (right), 32, each deny two counts of criminal damage to the tree and Hadrian’s Wall
Graham and Carruthers, seen here in a court sketch, were arrested in connection with the felling of the tree in October 2023
The court earlier heard that police looked into Lindsay Dalgleish but was ‘satisfied that he wasn’t involved.’
The missing ‘wedge’ of the tree and the chainsaw used to fell it have also not been found, the court has heard.
Analysis of Graham’s mobile phone later established that he made the tip-off call to Northumberland Police on August 23rd last year, using the 101 service
Andrew Gurney, for Carruthers, told the court that Graham made the call: ‘To drop Adam Carruthers in it.’
In the call, Graham said to the operator: ‘One of the lads that did it, Adam Carruthers, has got the saws back in his possession
‘They were being held by another male by the name of Lindsay Dalgleish. They were being held in Annan, that’s is in Scotland
‘They went to his parents address at 22 Church Street in Wigton and they have been taken to Cumbria Turf at Kirkbride, which is where he works
‘There is another eight saws that Lindsay Dalgleigh is still holding and I believe they have the same oil in. Every chainsaw has oil in it for the bar. You will be able to match that up.
‘There is also part of the tree that is with the saws as well. They were at the home address but possibly they have been moved to Cumbria Turf and hidden there at his place of work. Two days ago they were moved from Church Street to Cumbria Turf. They kept part of the tree, the wedge.’
He was asked by the call handle: ‘Is there anything else?’
Graham answered: ‘No that is all I’ve got to say. If I get any more information I will do the same again and pass it over.’
However, then continued to divulge further information.
Graham told the operator: ‘He lives in a caravan, his actual home address is the Old Fuel Depot and that’s in Kirkbride, he lives in a caravan there.
‘At Kirkbride he does have firearms. At the minute they are in the workshop where he works on cars, there are radiators and shelving and there are shotguns there and 9mm bullets on there as well. He has an old shotgun, a .22 or a 247, and a 9mm handgun.
Grabs from an enhanced version of mobile phone footage showing the Sycamore Gap being felled in September 2023, which has been shown at Newcastle Crown Court
‘Ammunition is in the workshop and the weapons are in other buildings on the other side of the yard where someone else works out of
‘He has free run of the place. If the chainsaws are there they will be stored at some place on the farm where Adam does not work, they will be in other buildings on the farm, he has access to everywhere on the farm.
‘He has access to CCTV footage as well, he’ll be able to delete that when he needs to.”
The call, Mr Gurney said, provided false information, with no firearms being recovered. The trial has heard that the chainsaw and wedge from the tree have still not been recovered.
The prosecution has now concluded its case and Graham is expected to give evidence in his defence today.
Graham and Carruthers deny criminal damage.
The trial continues.
