Sycamore Gap accused Daniel Graham tells court 'I was asked to take the blame' - live updates

Summary

The defence case started on the fourth day of the Sycamore Gap tree-felling trial
The tree, which was owned by the National Trust, was found lying across Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland in September 2023
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, are on trial and deny the charges - we're reporting live from court
Jurors have heard Daniel Graham say he did not "have anything to do with" felling the tree and blamed his co-accused in an anonymous phone call to police
The pair are charged with causing criminal damage to the tree, and £1,144 worth of damage to the wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site

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Live Reporting

Reporting from Duncan Leatherdale, edited by Rachel Kerr and Bethany White.

Jurors told not to talk about the casepublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 2 May
And with that, the trial is over for the day and for the week.
It will resume in courtroom one in Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday morning.
Before they left for the bank holiday weekend, Mrs Justice Lambert, the high court judge presiding over the case, tells jurors they must not talk to anyone about the case or conduct any of their own research.
At the beginning of the trial on Monday, she told them they had to set all emotion aside and reach verdicts purely on what they saw and heard within the four walls of the courtroom.
Some tense exchanges in courtpublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 2 May
Erica Witherington
Reporting from Newcastle Crown Court
Daniel Graham has spent just over three hours giving evidence today.
He was on his feet in the witness box with a large file of evidence in front of him, taking frequent sips from a cup of water.
Meanwhile, in the glass-fronted dock, Adam Carruthers was sitting leaning forwards very low down, with the top of his head only just visible.
There were some tense exchanges between Mr Graham and prosecutor Richard Wright KC, while Mr Graham had earlier claimed it seemed as if Mr Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney wanted to just argue with him rather than ask questions.
The day ended with Mr Graham exasperated at being asked the "same question" by Mr Wright, declaring: "I've had enough. Just go on to the next question."
It was that point the judge intervened, saying it had "clearly" been a "long day".
'Most likely asked' why Carruthers took film on his phonepublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 2 May
Mr Graham says it was "most likely" he did challenge Mr Carruthers about the video and photos he found on his phone that morning.
But, he said, he could not exactly.
When pressed by Mr Wright, he says he did not ask more questions because the tree was "not my problem", adding: "You keep asking me about time, I can't answer you, I've had enough.
"I cannot give you a word-for-word conversation either, it's too far away."
Mr Wright says it has been a long day and it was hot in court, so agreed to move on, with the intention of returning to the topic when the trial resumes on Tuesday.
Daniel Graham says he did not believe co-accused had cut down treepublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 2 May
Mr Graham says Mr Carruthers called him at about 09:20 that morning and told him he had chopped down the tree.
He says he did not believe him.
Mr Wright says by that point Mr Graham would have known his car had been taken and returned, the global media was reporting on the tree being felled an Mr Carruthers was telling him he did it.
"Are you really telling us you still thought he was [making it up]">When asked again when exactly he got his phone and found the video of the alleged felling, Mr Graham replies: "Just to get rid of the same question you keep asking me, at some point that morning."
'Pull the faces you want, I can't 'published at 16:12 British Summer Time 2 May
Court is now just taking a break, with Mr Graham having been under cross-examination for an hour and a half.
Mr Wright was just asking him about the morning after, what time Mr Graham got up and when he got his phone and found the video of the alleged felling.
Mr Graham says he cannot recall such details so long after the event, telling the prosecutor: "You stand there and pull all the faces you want, it's not going to help me ."
Defendant is asked why his car was takenpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 2 May
Mr Graham is asked why whoever felled the tree took his car to get to the scene.
"It was a 4x4," Mr Graham replies.
Asked if he believed someone was trying to make it look like he was responsible, Mr Graham says: "I don't know what their intentions were."
Prosecutor asks 'who searched for weather">"Just because I know the car park it doesn’t mean I know about the tree" he says.
"This is the most famous tree in the world 40 minutes down the road [from Mr Graham's home] and you didn’t realise the car park you reported your car stolen from was the car park for the Sycamore Gap tree">When the judge intervenes to tell Mr Gurney to ask questions, Mr Graham replies: "I don’t feel he is asking questions, I feel he is wanting an argument."
'I told him we were no longer friends'published at 14:35 British Summer Time 2 May
Mr Gurney asks Mr Graham: "At what point, when you are such good friends, did you turn on [Mr Carruthers]">He says he went to Mr Carruthers' home one night, taking him a milkshake as he normally did, and told him "we were no longer friends," adding: "I would go my way he could go his way.
"That was the last time I spoke to Adam."
Phone pin code given to people he trustedpublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 2 May
Mr Graham says he gave other people the code to his phone, the one taken on the night to Sycamore Gap on which the moment of the felling was allegedly filmed.
He says he gave the code to people he trusted, including Mr Carruthers, and denied keeping the phone on him and private to avoid his partner seeing conversations with other people he wanted to keep hidden.
He says said other people could use his vehicles.
Cross-examination of Daniel Graham beginspublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 2 May
After about an hour and a half of questions from his own barrister, Mr Graham is now being questioned by Andrew Gurney, the barrister for Adam Carruthers.
Mr Gurney starts by saying it is simply not true Mr Carruthers and his friend attempted to persuade Mr Graham to take the blame.
"It's 110% true," Mr Graham says.
Mr Gurney asks if everything Mr Graham says is true, to which the defendant replies: "Yes."