Judge Lambert said that after being convicted, both men admitted to probation officers that they had been “present and involved” in the episode but still tried to minimize their culpability. Mr. Carruthers said that he was the person who chopped down the tree but that he had “no idea why” and “could offer no explanation” after drinking a bottle of whiskey on the night, the judge said. Mr. Graham admitted that he had driven to the site and filmed the felling but “tried to heap as much blame as possible” on his friend and claimed that he thought the plan was a “fantasy” that Mr. Carruthers would not go through with. Judge Lambert said that she did not accept their claims as being “wholly honest or the whole story,” adding that elements were “not plausible” in light of the events. The judge said that it was still not possible to know the full reasons for the tree’s being felled, but that carrying out the action at night and in the middle of a storm “gave some sort of thrill” to both men, as did the media coverage.

Source: The Times July 16, 2025 19:55 UTC