One of two men responsible for destroying the beloved Sycamore Gap tree has walked free from prison having served just 10 months of his four-year and three-month sentence.
Adam Carruthers, 33, from Wigton, Cumbria, was released on March 15 under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, and is now required to wear an electronic tag.
Strict conditions mandate that he remain at his registered address for between nine and 12 hours daily.
Carruthers has already resumed employment at Cumbria Turf in Kirkbride, the same company listed as his workplace during court proceedings.
When ITV News asked whether he was pleased to be free, he confirmed he was and stated he had returned to work.
In September 2023, Carruthers and his then-friend Daniel Graham, 40, travelled approximately 40 miles from the Carlisle area to carry out what prosecutors later described as a "moronic mission".
Carruthers operated a chainsaw to bring down the iconic tree, while Graham recorded the destruction on his phone.
The footage, later recovered by investigators, showed the moment the beloved landmark toppled backwards onto Hadrian's Wall.
Police taped cordons off the Sycamore Gap tree after it was cut down in 2023 | GETTYThe pair even shared the video as they fled the scene and allegedly removed a wedge from the trunk as a trophy, though this was never found.
Both men were convicted and imprisoned in May 2025.
Judge Mrs Justice Lambert handed both defendants identical sentences of four years and three months, informing them they would serve a maximum of 40 per cent of that term.
Under that calculation, Carruthers would not have been expected to leave prison until January 2027 at the soonest.
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Daniel Daniel Graham, 39, (left) and Adam Carruthers, 32, were found guilty of criminal damage after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree | PAHowever, the Home Detention Curfew Scheme permits eligible prisoners to be freed after completing half of their reduced custodial period, accelerating his release date significantly.
The destruction wrought by the pair caused £622,191 in damage to the tree itself, with an additional £1,144 of harm inflicted upon the historic wall.
Both the tree and Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are owned by the National Trust.
Residents in Northumberland have reacted with fury to news of Carruthers' early release.
One walker described the situation as "unbelievable", adding: "He shouldn't be at liberty. I'm not very impressed about that at all.
"For what he's done for this area and what he's done to our culture, no, he shouldn't be allowed to do that."
Another local suggested the punishment appeared insufficient given the significance of what was lost.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman defended the release, stating: "Anyone released into Home Detention Curfew faces strict licence conditions and must be tagged. Those who break the rules can be returned to prison."