Sycamore Gap vandals Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham have been remanded into custody for their own safety amid furious public outrage over their felling of the famous landmark. Today Carruthers legal team asked for him to be held in custody ahead of sentencing as he will now be known as “one of the men who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree.”
It is feared that now his face and home address are known that he could now be in danger from outraged members of the public. Following their conviction at Newcastle Crown Court trial judge Mrs Justice Lambert remanded both men into custody ahead of their sentencing on 15 July. She said Daniel Graham had been held on remand since just before Christmas for his “own protection”.
Carruthers meanwhile has been on bail but Rebecca Brown, junior council for the prosecution, asked for his bail to be revoked.
She said: “In our view there is a substantial risk he would fail to surrender to bail now that he has been convicted and faces potentially a lengthy period of imprisonment.
“A second consideration is that it is necessary to remand him for his own welfare. His identity has been widely publicised as has his home address and place of work.
“He is now known as one of the men who felled the tree at Sycamore Gap.”
Carruthers closed his eyes as Mrs Justice Lambert told him he would be remanded in custody for the reasons Ms Brown outlined.
As they were led out of the dock there was a further exchange between Graham and Lindsay Dalgleigh.
Graham walked to the front of the dock and shouted: “You think you’re a big man you Scotch bastard.”
Dalgleish replied: “Learn to tie a better knot.”
Mr Dalgleish, a car dealer from Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, had been implicated in the crime by Graham, who said he believed he was the second person in the plot to topple the tree.
He also told jurors Dalgleish and Carruthers tried to persuade him to take the blame because he had mental health problems and by their estimation would get a more lenient sentence.
The sentencing hearing will debate the value of the tree. Its initial estimate was £622,191 but that has since been revised to £450,000, with the defence arguing it’s value is lower than that.
The court heard that the tree’s value, as determined by various experts, is unlikely to affect the sentences given to the two culprits.