Walter Renwick, 70, found himself at the centre of fake claims and abuse when the Sycamore Gap tree was felled – he was arrested along with a boy, 16, but both were cleared of any wrongdoing
A former lumberjack has spoken of his ordeal after he was falsely blamed for felling the Sycamore Gap – and wore a Rod Stewart wig to hide his identity. Walter Renwick, 70, found himself at the centre of fake claims and abuse when the iconic tree was felled on September 28, 2023.
He was arrested along with a teenager who was suspected of being involved in the crime which sent shockwaves around the globe. He has spoken of being the focus of a hate campaign as Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, who really chopped down the tree, face sentencing at Newcastle crown court this week.
He recalled: “It was heartbreaking. There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake, they were 100 per cent certain I’d done it.
“Every time I went shopping in Haltwhistle or Hexham, people were nudging each other and saying ‘that’s him that cut the tree down’.”
The pensioner, who lived close to Hadrian’s Wall, not far from where the tree stood, resorted to a disguise to hide his identity. “I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn’t spot me,” he added.
He had been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm near Bardon Mill, Northumberland, by landowners Jesuits in Britain. His family had been living there for decades; a tenancy held by his grandfather and father had not passed to him. The National Trust were said to be one of the bodies who complained about his behaviour after he set up a campsite on the land.
And that was wrongly believed to have been part of his motive. His land and property were searched by Northumbria Police officers looking for clues shortly after the tree was felled.
The act of vandalism sparked outrage and condemnation from nature lovers around the world. The force said it recognised the “strength of feeling that the felling had caused”.
But stressed that it had carried out a “a meticulous and proportionate investigation”. The “unwavering commitment” of the officers involved in the case had led to a successful prosecution, a spokesperson added.
A jury at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted Graham and Carruthers of two counts of criminal damage in May.
“I just keep asking myself why they did it,” Mr Renwick told the BBC. “Was it just attention seeking?
“I don’t know what it was but, for me at least, it’s over. Actually, you know, the tree, that was one thing… But losing my farm. That was the thing that hurt most of all.”
Jesuits in Britain said Mr Renwick’s father “gave up” the tenancy in 2008 and Mr Renwick did not meet the legal criteria to succeed his dad. He was offered a 10-year lease which was extended twice, “well beyond any legal obligation” on their part.
Mr Renwick was “fully aware” of options available and he was given “multiple opportunities to discuss alternative arrangements”. A spokesman added: “Throughout we have sought to act with kindness and integrity. We sincerely wish him well as he moves forward.”
Graham, 39, of Millbeck, near Carlisle, and Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, both Cumbria, each denied causing £622,191 worth of criminal damage to the tree and damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Both belong to the National Trust.
The maximum sentence for criminal damage is 10 years. Both men are due to be sentenced on July 15 at Newcastle crown court.