Canadian Geoffrey Wood has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for stealing a famous photograph of wartime British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, known as "The Roaring Lion," UNN writes, citing the BBC.
Details
Geoffrey Wood pleaded guilty to stealing the original photograph from the Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022. He also confessed to forgery.
The photograph of the wartime British Prime Minister, taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, is depicted on the British 5 pound note.
Ottawa Police reported that it was found last year in Genoa, Italy, at a private buyer who was unaware that it had been stolen.
The image depicts a somber Churchill, who was 67 years old at the time, shortly after he gave a speech in the Canadian Parliament.
It was not until August 2022 that a hotel employee realized that the original photograph had been replaced with a forgery.
According to Canadian media, Wood said he took the photograph to find money for his brother, who suffers from mental health issues.
Wood was sentenced to "two years less a day," meaning he will serve his sentence in a provincial institution rather than a federal prison.
A lawyer representing Wood said the sentence was "excessively harsh" given that he was committing a crime for the first time.
Europol seized 38,000 stolen cultural artifacts from thieves - media22.05.25, 17:01