A Canadian court has sentenced a man who stole a photo of Churchill to nearly two years in prison
A court in Canada has sentenced a man who stole a famous 2022 photograph of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from a Canadian hotel to just under two years in prison, reports the Canadian Press.
The CBC television channel reported in September 2024 that a 1941 portrait of Churchill by renowned Canadian photographer Yusuf Karsh, which was stolen from the lobby of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa in August 2022, was recovered in Italy. According to the TV station, Canadian police had earlier detained an Ontario man suspected of the theft. He went on trial on charges of several offenses, including theft, forgery of documents and trafficking in stolen property. In September 2024, Italian authorities returned the photo to Canada.
“(Defendant – ed.) Jeffrey Wood remained calm in the courtroom when (Judge Robert – ed.) Wadden told him he was being sentenced to a dayless two years in prison,” the agency said in a story.
As the agency explains, if the prison term is two years or more, the convicted person is sent to federal prison. If the term is less than two years, the offender is placed in a provincial prison.
According to the agency, Wood had previously pleaded guilty. At Monday’s hearing, he also said he wanted to spend the money from the sale of the stolen photo to help his brother. However, as Judge Robert Wadden emphasized, his brother passed away before Wood received the funds.
In deciding on the sentence, the judge took into account that Wood had pleaded guilty and was sorry for what he had done. Otherwise, the agency reports, he would have sentenced the man to three years in prison.