Daniel Graham [pictured left] and Adam Carruthers, the morons behind the destruction of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, for which they were found guilty on 27 September 2023, were also investigated for alleged homophobic assaults that occurred shortly before their crime.
Prior to their act of tree vandalism, a man reported an attack in a Cumbria layby - a known cruising area - where he faced verbal abuse and had icing sugar thrown at him from a vehicle. The victim promptly reported the incident but the police fluffed the investigation, saying that a vehicle matching the description provided by the victim was looked into, but errors in the registration details ruined the case.
The victim’s frustration only escalated after he was later shown videos of other men being subjected to similar abuse but the Crown Prosecution Service eventually decided not to charge Graham and Carruthers, citing lack of evidence and the elapsed time since the incidents as reasons for dismissal.
The Crown Prosecution Service has been vocal about its commitment to tackle hate crimes, urging victims to come forward but the repeated failures to bring charges against Graham and Carruthers highlight significant gaps in the support mechanisms for victims of hate crimes.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative references recent events from September 2023, indicating a relatively current context. However, the absence of very recent updates might suggest some delay in reporting.
Quotes check
Score:
0
Notes:
No direct quotes are found in the narrative to verify.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from the BBC, a well-established and reputable news organisation known for its high standards of journalism and fact-checking.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The reported incidents and their consequences are plausible and align with the seriousness of hate crimes and vandalism. The narrative provides specific details about the events and their impact.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative passes with high confidence due to its recent context, the reliability of the source, and the plausibility of the events described. The lack of direct quotes is a minor issue.
