Churchill picture thief sentenced to 2 years in Canadian prison

A Canadian guy has been sentenced to nearly two years in jail for stealing a well-known {photograph} of Sir Winston Churchill referred to as “The Roaring Lion”.

Jeffrey Wood had pleaded accountable to stealing the unique print from Ottawa’s Château Laurier lodge between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022. He additionally admitted committing forgery.

The picture of Britain’s war-time top minister, taken via Yousuf Karsh in 1941, options on the United Kingdom £5 notice.

Ottawa Police mentioned it was once discovered closing yr in Genoa, Italy within the ownership of a personal purchaser, who was once unaware it was once stolen.

The symbol depicts a frowning Churchill, who was once 67 on the time, in a while after he delivered a speech to the Canadian parliament.

It wasn’t till August 2022 {that a} lodge workforce member realised the unique picture have been changed with a faux.

According to Canadian media, Wood mentioned he took the picture to seek out cash for his brother, who was once affected by psychological well being issues.

During sentencing, Justice Robert Wadden mentioned: “It is a point of national pride that a portrait taken by a Canadian photographer would have achieved such fame.”

“There is an element of trust in our society that allows such properties to be displayed, to be enjoyed by all Canadians. To steal, damage and traffic in such property is to breach that trust,” he added.

“We’re very happy to see that Canadian history is recognised,” mentioned Geneviève Dumas, the overall supervisor of the Château Laurier lodge, in line with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Wood was once sentenced to “two years less a day”, a difference which means that he’s going to serve his sentence in a provincial establishment as a substitute of a federal jail.

The legal professional representing Wood mentioned the sentence was once “unnecessarily harsh” for the reason that he was once a first-time wrongdoer.