On the morning of 28 September 2023, news spread across social media that the iconic Sycamore Gap tree had been deliberately felled overnight…
The tree had famously stood in a remote nook of Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland (a UNESCO World Heritage site) – a popular tourist spot renowned for its appearance in the Hollywood film ‘Robin Hood Prince of Thieves’.
Anna Miralis, Senior Commissioning Editor, Documentaries Channel 4:
“The felling of this iconic and much -loved tree sent shock waves across the world. With the mix of extraordinary access to this unique investigation and an award-winning director, this documentary is guaranteed to be both enlightening and utterly compelling. It is my hope it will offer up some understanding on what drove those to commit such a senseless crime.”
Slaying at Sycamore Gap has, over two episodes, exclusive access to Northumbria Police and will tell the extraordinary story of this headline-grabbing crime. With access to never-before-seen investigation assets, witnesses, suspects, police officers and case experts, the series will chronicle this unique investigation – following its intricate twists and turns and exploring the impact this senseless crime had on the local community and around the world.
The central character of the bizarre story will be the Sycamore Gap tree. Its presence resonated throughout offering up intimate interviews with fans, social media posts, news archive and cinematic footage. The tree remains in the opening titles of ITV Tyne Tees’ local news opening titles and those who took photos of it when standing proud continue to post their snaps of it on social media.
The film will celebrate this icon of North-East imagery and identity and capture the utter outrage and disbelief that people around the world expressed at such a senseless crime. What was the motive? This is a gripping environmental true crime thriller.
As a global outpouring of shock and anger erupted and the world’s media descended, Northumbria Police immediately launched a criminal investigation. The detective double act tasked with uncovering the culprits of this stranger-than-fiction crime were SIO Rebecca Fenney and DS Calum Meikle.
The only evidence they had to start with was the remains of the 200-year-old tree. There was no CCTV. There were no witnesses. What unravelled in the following weeks was a bizarre but complex investigation, in an effort to get justice for the tree, the local community, and the countless number of outraged fans across the world.
Eventually, two men were charged – Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31 – with criminal damage and they now stand accused of causing £622,191 worth of damage to the tree and a further £1,144 to Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both are pleading not guilty and are due to stand trial in December 2024.
