Newstead Abbey lead thief jailed

14/08/2012

A Nottinghamshire man has pleaded guilty to stealing lead from Newstead Abbey, the former home of Lord Byron. Gurshoron Bhattie pleaded guilty to theft and converting criminal property and was sentenced to 18 months in proson at Nottingham Crown Court.

Judith Walker, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands said: "Gurshoron Bhattie has pleaded guilty to stealing lead from Nottinghamshires historic Newstead Abbey. In pursuit of what he must have perceived as quick, easy money, he has shown complete disregard for this historic property, enjoyed by thousands every year.

"The impact of this callous, selfish offending is much wider than just the value of the metal he stole. Repairing the damage will cost Newstead Abbey significantly more than the pittance Bhattie received for it, and the original, antique fittings are lost forever. 

"Theft of metal from historic properties is taken extremely seriously by the Crown Prosecution Service, and we have issued legal guidance for such cases, to ensure the full criminality is prosecuted when cases meet the two tests of the Code for Crown Prosecutors."

The case against two other defendants accused of handling stolen goods was discontinued in June.