A Canadian man named Jeffrey Wood has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for stealing a famous photograph of Winston Churchill, titled “The Roaring Lion.” Wood pleaded guilty to stealing the original print from the Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022, and also admitted to forgery. The photograph, taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, appears on the UK £5 note. Last year, the photo was discovered in the possession of a private buyer in Genoa, Italy, who was unaware it had been stolen.
The image shows a frown on Churchill’s face, captured shortly after he delivered a speech to the Canadian parliament when he was 67 years old. It wasn’t until August 2022 that a hotel staff member noticed the original photo had been replaced with a fake. Wood reportedly admitted to stealing the photo to raise money for his brother, who was struggling with mental health issues.
During sentencing, Justice Robert Wadden emphasized the significance of national pride in a portrait taken by a Canadian photographer achieving such fame. He stated that stealing, damaging, or trading in such property violates the trust in society. The general manager of the Château Laurier hotel, Geneviève Dumas, expressed satisfaction with the recognition of Canadian history.
Wood was sentenced to “two years less a day,” which means he will serve his sentence in a provincial institution rather than a federal prison. His lawyer argued that the sentence was excessively harsh, considering it was his first offense.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgdk4j1pg5o
