London South East, UK - A Lewisham woman described as an alcoholic has been sentenced to 60 days in prison for stealing a bronze first world war memorial which she had tried to sell to a scrap metal merchant. The attempt failed when the scrap dealer realised what the £100 scrap bronze tablet was, and the woman said that she subsequently sold it to a man in a white van for £15.

Lana Clitheroe of Brockley and Paul Kelly of Lewisham, both 42, appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on January 17, having pleaded guilty to theft by finding. The court heard that Clitheroe and Kelly found the bronze plaque in a side street and CCTV footage showed the pair wheeling it around in a shopping trolley.

Prosecutor Denise Clewes told the court: "They presented the plaque at Sydenham Scrap Metals where they wanted to sell the item for scrap. They both laid the plaque face down on the scales and it weighed 44 kilos - a weight that would normally have expected to be worth £90 to £100." However, the owner of the premises got suspicious and asked the pair to turn the plaque over. Upon realising what it was he sent them away.

Sentencing Clitheroe, District Judge Julia Newton said: "The culpability of the defendant is high - no thought was given beyond raising money for alcohol. Her risk of re-offending is assessed as high." She was sentenced to 120 days imprisonment, half of which is to be spent in custody, with the remainder to be served in the community. Kelly was committed to Inner London Crown Court to be sentenced for this offence, and for a separate, riots-related burglary charge at a later date.

This is local London: Alcoholic Lana Clitheroe jailed for stealing 'invaluable' war memorial plaque

Story Type:  News

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