They could face lengthy jail time upon sentencing
Two men have been found guilty of criminal damage after felling the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, England in September 2023, as video footage, voice notes between the pair, and damning evidence paint a clear picture of the situation for many.
Normally you’d rely on live streamers to not only do stupid things but also film themselves in the act, and that’s what has left some of the most popular creators facing significant prison sentences in foreign countries after wrecking havoc live on air.
Neither Daniel Michael Graham, 39, or Adam Carruthers, 32, were seemingly looking for social media notoriety though, as they committed an act many consider ‘heinous’ in the early hours of the morning, all while setting up their phone to film the whole thing.
Planted over 150 years ago by the historic site of Hadrian’s Wall, the Sycamore Gap tree has become a much-loved and iconic landmark for many in the north of England.
The iconic Sycamore Gap tree was felled with a chainsaw by Carruthers and Graham overnight (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
It’s one of the most photographed trees in the entire country due to it’s picturesque framing, and is often the site of many memorable moments such as engagements, weddings, and more.
However, the wider community was left in shock on September 28, 2023 after a police officer discovered that the tree had been illegally fell that morning in a ‘mindless’ act of violence.
The aforementioned Graham and Carruthers were soon apprehended by police, who then discovered that the former had video footage of the tree being taken down with a chainsaw on his phone, and the pair had also exchanged voice messages discussing the ‘virality’ of their act, especially their excitement towards the public’s negative outcry to the act.
Additionally, police also discovered a wedge which experts indicate has a ‘very strong chance’ of being from the Sycamore Gap tree, and is understood to be a trophy of sorts that the pair took from the scene of the crime to commemorate their act.
Their trial has now come to a conclusion, as the jurors took five hours to reach a guilty verdict that saw Graham and Carruthers charged with two counts of criminal damage, with the sentencing scheduled to take place in a few months on July 15, 2025, as reported by the BBC.
Mrs Justice Lambert, the judge in charge of the pair’s court case, has proclaimed that they should be prepared for “lengthy” custodial sentences, which could be as long as 10 years as indicated by iNews.
It’s indicated that Carruthers and Graham could face sentences of up to ten years in July (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
Reacting to the verdict, one commenter on Reddit argues that they “could not have been more guilty if they’d shown up in court wearing ‘we did it!’ t-shirts,” likely due to the copious amounts of evidence the pair collected of them doing the act, although they still pleaded not guilty.
Others are left astounded at the lack of motivation behind the tree being felled, with one writing: “So there wasn’t even a reason behind it? I remember at the time there was theories about land disputed with the National Trust etc. but they were literally just d***heads who though it would be fully!”
Another adds that they “kind of expect that sort of thing from teenagers who do dumb stuff without thinking it though all the time, but this is two fully grown men who presumably had to plan everything, shift equipment, etc.”
Archaeologists suggest 25,000-year-old pyramid was not made by humans
Whilst the origins of pyramids haven’t been fully confirmed like the exact methods used to build blocks and who exactly built them – whether it was thousands of locals or a dedicated team.
There’s still a lot of mystery, however, scientists are managing to piece things together with some logical theories and satellite data.
Archaeologists have stirred things up by claiming the ‘world’s oldest pyramid’ built 25,000 years ago might not be human-made at all.
Guinness World Records officially lists the Djoser Step pyramid in Egypt as the world’s oldest pyramid (around 2,630 BC).
Ade lukmanul Hakim / Getty
However, one paper published in October suggested that the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia could be as old as 25,000 BC.
Research led by Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences argues that the core of the Gunung Padang pyramid’s core is ‘meticulously sculpted massive andesite lava’ that ‘likely originated as a natural lava hill before being sculpted and then architecturally enveloped.’
The findings published in the journal Archaeological Prospection challenge the ‘conventional belief that human civilisation and the development of advanced construction techniques emerged only […] with the advent of agriculture approximately 11,000 years ago.
They wrote: ‘Evidence from Gunung Padang and other sites, such as Gobekli Tepe [in Turkey], suggests that advanced construction practices were already present when agriculture had, perhaps, not yet been invented.’
Ade lukmanul Hakim / Getty
Although, not everyone is convinced with one UK archaeologist criticising the research saying he is ‘surprised [it] was published as is.’
Flint Dibble, from Cardiff University, told the journal Nature: ‘Material rolling down a hill is going to, on average, orient itself’ and there is no clear evidence to suggest ‘working or anything to indicate that it’s man-made.’
Meanwhile, Bill Farley, an archaeologist at Southern Connecticut State University, points out that the 27,000-year-old soil samples from Gunung Padang ‘do not carry hallmarks of human activity, such as charcoal or bone fragments.’
In response to the criticism, Natawidjaja has invited other researchers to investigate Gunung Padang further.
He said: ‘We are really open to researchers around the world who would like to come to Indonesia and do some research programme on Gunung Padang.’
So, while the debate continues, the search for the true oldest pyramid – and its origins – remains very much open.
It’s a sobering reminder of how climate change affects human populations.
Researchers have discovered a large, ancient colony that was once booming with human life.
Hidden under the water off the northern coast of Kimberley, Australia there is an underwater settlement which dates back to the Late Pleistocene period, around 2.5 million years ago.
It’s helping the team piece together evidence of early human migration and how climate change affected ancient civilisations.
Interestingly, it’s possible the submerged landmass may have acted as a vital bridge connecting the civilisations.
‘It’s plausible that this land was used as a pathway for migration,’ said Dr. James Bennett, an environmental historian and contributor to the study.
Andrew Halsall / US Geological Survey / Geoscience Australia
‘Before Australia became the island we know today, it could have been accessible by foot.’
According to the study, the submerged lands might have helped people move across vast areas during the Late Pleistocene period.
The existence of this underwater colony was revealed as researchers carefully explored the submerged land, which was once a thriving ecosystem on a landmass almost 250,000 square miles in size – which is about 1.6 times the area of the UK!
Early excavations found a treasure trove of artefacts and signs of human life, hinting at a flourishing civilisation now hidden beneath the ocean.
‘The findings are nothing short of astonishing,’ said Dr. Emily Watson, a renowned archaeologist and co-author of the study. ‘We’ve uncovered a forgotten world that was not only inhabited by humans but also rich in ecological diversity.’
Andrew Halsall / US Geological Survey/Geoscience Australia
Although being a desert at some point back in time, the submerged landmass once had a complex network of freshwater and saltwater lakes, rivers, and even an inland sea. So, this would’ve been a lifeline to the 50,000 to 500,000 people living there.
‘Now submerged continental margins clearly played an important role in early human expansions across the world,’ the study stated.
The end of this once-thriving colony is a reminder of how climate change has impacted human populations throughout history.
Rising sea levels caused half of the landmass in the Pleistocene era to become submerged by the ocean – causing the populations to adapt to new life in nearby archipelagos. This underlined a new chapter in human history: the ‘first maritime explorers from Wallacea.’
As we deal with the effects of climate change today, understanding how our ancestors adapted to changing environments might offer some solutions.
