THE Sycamore Gap thugs were allegedly quizzed over a homophobic attack that took place just days before they cut down the iconic tree.
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, are understood to have been accused of attacking a man as he sat in his car in a lay-by in .
Just nine days later, the vile pair to chop down the famous tree on Hadrian’s Wall in a that shocked the nation.
It can now be revealed Graham and Carruthers were reportedly quizzed by over the homophobic attack on September 27, 2023.
The victim was doused in icing sugar and subjected to verbal abuse by two people in the lay-by, which is often frequented by men seeking sexual encounters.
He told the BBC: “There was a knock on my window. I looked across and there was this black jeep, so I wound my window down and the passenger got quite homophobic with me.”;;
The man reported the assault to police on the same night and gave officers a description of the vehicle and his recollection of the number plate.
Cumbria Police carried out checks on the plate but found the vehicle linked to it, which was different to Graham’s by one letter, was not in the county.
In April 2024, an officer visited the victim after two men were arrested on suspicion of two assaults motivated by hate.
Evidence on one of the suspects’ phones showed “ten or 12”;; videos of various men suffering homophobic abuse.
The victim identified some of the men in the clips – including himself – and gave a formal statement in August that year.
A file was then presented to the in December relating to three victims across six offences.
But prosecutors did not bring charges due to insufficient evidence, difficulties identifying the suspects and too much time elapsing since one of the incidents.
The victim challenged the decision, which meant he was privy to the alleged perpetrators’ names – Carruthers and Graham – in an email seen by the BBC.
He said: “I knew the names were in my mind somewhere.
“I Googled it and my words were ‘oh my God’, I realised who they were.”;;
Despite his appeal, the ruling not to charge the men was upheld.
The victim has accused the police of not using his initial evidence to check the CCTV at the time.
But Cumbria Police said the investigation had been “complex”;; and all “evidential opportunities”;; had been explored.
The CPS said it encouraged victims of hate crimes to report it to the police and that prosecutions will follow if its legal tests are met.
A spokesperson added: “Our prosecutor carefully considered the evidence in respect of each incident and determined that that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the available offences, partly due to the passage of time which meant certain offences could not be legally brought, even if evidence was available.
“Following a request from the victim to reconsider the decision, a further review was conducted, which agreed with the previous review – that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.
“We have explained our decision in full to the victim.”;;
Graham and Carruthers were last week found guilty of two counts of criminal damage following a trial.
The idiot pair in the dead of night using a chainsaw for their “moronic mission”;;.
It took justto cut down the tree, which had stoodnextto Hadrian’s Wall for more than a century.
The pair, who were remanded into custody, have been warned they could face a “significant period”;; in jail when they are sentenced on July 15.
