The individual responsible for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree has been released from prison after serving just 10 months of his four-year and three-month sentence. Adam Carruthers, 33, was imprisoned in May 2025 for his involvement in the felling of the iconic tree and causing damage to Hadrian’s Wall back in September 2023. Carruthers, from Wigton, Cumbria, used a chainsaw to bring down the tree while his former friend Daniel Graham, 40, recorded the act. Following a falling-out between the two, Carruthers has been granted early release and is now under curfew with an electronic monitoring device. He has resumed his employment at Cumbria Turf in Kirkbride, where he was employed during his trial.
In an interview with ITV News, Carruthers expressed his happiness at being released and confirmed his return to work. The general manager of Twice Brewed Inn, located near Sycamore Gap, voiced surprise at Carruthers’ release. The pub, frequented by many walkers along Hadrian’s Wall, houses a piece of the felled tree. Carruthers was granted release under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, which allows eligible prisoners to serve part of their sentence at home under strict conditions.
Both Carruthers and Graham, from the vicinity of Carlisle, were sentenced to four years and three months in prison, with the judge stipulating they would serve a maximum of 40% of their sentence. Carruthers would have originally been released in January 2027; however, under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, he became eligible for release on March 15. The Ministry of Justice emphasized the strict conditions imposed on individuals under this scheme, including electronic monitoring and repercussions for rule violations.
Locals in Wigton, Cumbria, where Carruthers grew up, described him as naive and shared insights into his past. They mentioned how Carruthers and Graham collaborated on the destructive act, with accusations and blame being exchanged between the two following their fallout. The prosecution alleged that the pair took a piece of the tree as a memento, but it was never recovered. Judge Lambert held both individuals equally responsible for the tree felling incident when they were sentenced.
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