The reckless act that led to the destruction of the 'irreplaceable' Sycamore Gap tree will cost taxpayers nearly £1m, it has been disclosed.

The 'moronic' pair, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, were accused of felling the tree for a senseless 'thrill', and then basking in the media attention, during their Newcastle Crown Court trial. Both were sentenced to four years and three months in prison.

The tree's worth was contested in court, with the prosecution estimating its value at around £458,000, down from an initial estimate of £622,000; Graham's defence argued it should be valued at approximately £150,000.

The court heard that, considering the impact on tourism and local visitors, the tree's value was close to £500,000. However, the exact valuation did not significantly affect the sentencing, which saw both men's defence of drunken stupidity disregarded after the judge called their vandalism a "deliberate, professional" act.

The damage caused to Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site, by the falling tree was estimated to be over £7,000. The initial operation to secure the site and manage the tree's felling also cost £30,000, reports the Mirror.

The National Trust detailed spending £55,000 in the wake of the horrifying vandalism, using funds drawn from their charitable donations. An additional £25,000 was spent last year dealing with the massive public response.

Andrew Poad, National Trust manager for Northumberland where the tree was located, stated in a court impact statement that the tree's value was 'incalculable' as it was 'irreplaceable'. He revealed: "More than £30,000 of our revenue was taken dealing with the incident.

"Another £25,000 was spent in 2025, all from National Trust charitable funds. We worked to mitigate the environmental degradation. It would be almost impossible to quantify the number of hours spent and the staffing costs. The impact has been felt every day, every hour since, staff have been working around the clock."

The two-week trial and comprehensive 18-month police investigation are projected to cost taxpayers more than £250,000. Graham, 39, from near Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, from Wigton, both in Cumbria, eventually confessed to their roles in the crime that sent shockwaves across the globe.

Carruthers admitted to operating the chainsaw while Graham captured the act on his mobile phone, as revealed in their confessions to probation officers prior to their sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court this week. By this point, their 10-day trial had accumulated daily court costs of approximately £3,500.

Three officers were assigned to the case during the 19-month police investigation leading up to the trial. DI Calum Meikle, who led the investigation, maintained that the allocation of Northumbria Police resources was justified.

According to a Freedom of Information request, the legal aid bill for Graham and Carruthers is anticipated to reach £18,674.28. The duo are set to serve at least 40 percent of their sentence; the annual cost of their incarceration amounts to £44,460.

Each of them will serve a minimum of 20 months in prison, equating to 40 percent of their sentences. This results in a combined cost of £150,000 for their imprisonment.

Si King, 58, one half of the Hairy Bikers and a Northumberland native, spoke to the Mirror, stating that the financial cost pales in comparison to the emotional toll.

"I just cannot get my head around it, even now the question is why did they do it?" He said: "There is no closure because we still do not have an answer to that. It is simply madness; it was a totem somewhere between the celestial world, and the earth. It was so shocking to have that taken away."

Sentencing the two former workmates, Judge Mrs Justice Lambert said: "I am confident that a major factor in your offending was sheer bravado. Felling the tree in the middle of the night and in the middle of a storm gave you some sort of thrill, as did the media coverage of your crimes over the following days.

"You revelled in the coverage, taking evident pride in what you had done, knowing that you were responsible for the crime which so many were talking about. Whether bravado and thrill-seeking provide the complete explanation for what you did, I do not know.

"However, as I say, I am quite sure that you are both equally culpable for the destruction of the tree and for the damage to the wall."

Adam Cormack, the head of campaigning at the Woodland Trust, has called for stronger legal protections for our 'most special and important trees' following a public outcry over a recent environmental crime. A Tree Council and Forest Research review on tree protection was released in April.

He urged: "We urge the Government to take forward the recommendations of this report.

"The sentence sends a clear message that gratuitous damage and destruction of trees is unacceptable. The consequences of the felling of this iconic tree are tragic for nature, for our cultural heritage and for these two men and their families."

Sycamore Gap cost breakdown

£500,000 valuation of tree itself, covering loss in tourism, local visitors, cost to the UK and North east economy

£7,000 damage to Hadrian's Wall Unesco World Heritage site

£55,000 National Trust bill (all charitable donations)

£250,000 police/courts: £200,00 police probe, £35,000 crown court costs, collection of evidence, cell site analysis.

Legal aid bill so far: £18,674.

£150,000 prison costs for Graham and Carruthers, based on serving 40 percent of sentence.

Total: £980,674.