The second man jailed for chopping down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree has walked free from prison after serving just 16 months behind bars, plus time spent on remand.
Daniel Graham, 41, has been released on licence after being sentenced to four years and three months for his role in destroying one of Britain's most beloved landmarks.
His release comes months after his former best friend and accomplice, Adam Carruthers, 33, was also freed from prison.
The pair sparked national outrage when they travelled to Northumberland in the dead of night and used a chainsaw to fell the famous tree, which had stood beside Hadrian's Wall for more than a century.
It took them less than three minutes to destroy the landmark, which had appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and attracted visitors from around the world.
Graham and Carruthers were jailed at Newcastle Crown Court in July 2025 after being convicted of criminal damage to both the tree and Hadrian's Wall, which was struck by the falling sycamore.
But despite receiving sentences of more than four years, both men are now back in the community.
Daniel Graham, 41, has been released on licence after being sentenced to four years and three months for his role in destroying one of Britain's most beloved landmarks
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, pictured working together. His release comes months after his former best friend and accomplice, Adam Carruthers, 33, was also freed from prison
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said on Monday: 'The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree was a disgraceful crime.
'Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and can be returned to prison immediately if they breach them.'
The latest release, first reported by the Mirror, comes after Carruthers was freed earlier this year.
At their sentencing, Mrs Justice Lambert told the pair they would serve 40 per cent of their prison terms behind bars, with the remainder spent on licence.
The court heard how the two men embarked on a 'moronic mission' on September 27, 2023, driving more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria to carry out the extraordinary act of vandalism.
They travelled in Graham's Range Rover, nicknamed the 'Black Pig', before hauling their equipment across pitch-black moorland during a storm.
Once at the landmark, Carruthers used a chainsaw to bring down the tree while Graham filmed the destruction on his mobile phone.
The footage, lasting just two minutes and 41 seconds, showed the silhouette of a man standing beside the sycamore before the unmistakable noise of a chainsaw could be heard.
The tree crashed onto the ancient Roman wall, causing further damage to the historic monument.
Rather than showing remorse, the pair revelled in the enormous publicity surrounding their crime.
They even removed a wedge of wood from the trunk to keep as a trophy, which has never been recovered.
The 150-year-old sycamore was felled in 2023 in an act which stunned the nation
The tree was made famous when it appeared in Kevin Costner's 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves
During the trial, jurors heard how Carruthers had boasted about possessing footage of the incident.
After his partner sent him a video of his young child, he replied: 'I have a better video than that'.
The two men, who had once been close friends, later fell out and attempted to blame one another for the destruction.
Mrs Justice Lambert concluded that Carruthers had wielded the chainsaw while Graham drove him to the scene and recorded the felling.
Their actions triggered an outpouring of anger and disbelief, with the loss of the tree making headlines across the world.
The sycamore, believed to have been planted in the 1800s by lawyer and antiquarian John Clayton, had become one of the most recognisable sights in the Northumberland countryside.
Nestled in a dramatic dip along Hadrian's Wall, it was a popular destination for walkers, photographers and tourists, as well as couples who chose the picturesque spot for marriage proposals.
Its fame grew after it featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman.
For generations, its distinctive silhouette had appeared on postcards, souvenirs and photographs celebrating the region's landscape.
Its destruction prompted tearful visits from mourners and condemnation from politicians, including then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Carruthers was released earlier this year under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, which allows eligible prisoners to serve part of their sentence in the community under strict conditions, including electronic monitoring.
He was reported to have been wearing an electronic tag and required to remain at a registered home address.
Speaking to ITV News at a Cumbria turf business where he had previously worked, Carruthers said he was happy to be out of prison.
Graham has now followed him out of custody, bringing an end to the pair's time behind bars for a crime that shocked the country.
Both remain subject to licence conditions and could be recalled to prison if they breach them.
The vandalism caused an estimated £622,191 worth of damage to the tree and £1,144 to Hadrian's Wall.