In a surprising turn of events, a clumsy criminal received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for his attempt to steal invaluable silver artifacts from a British military museum. The thief, identified as 36-year-old Graham Gallon, made a critical mistake by cutting a hole in the museum floor that was too small for his ambitious haul.
Gallon admitted to his involvement in the theft and faced the consequences on Friday, as announced by officials. He, along with two accomplices who are currently facing trial, had stealthily entered the premises of the Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum in the early hours of October 29, last year.
The task assigned to Gallon was to saw through the floor right beneath a display case. This case was home to several pieces of antique china, some dating back to the 19th century. Among the stolen treasures was a unique parcel and gilt rosewater dish, closely related to the Wimbledon women’s singles trophy, as reported by Nottinghamshire police.
To aid their theft, the team used a smaller hole to insert an endoscope camera. This allowed Gallon to pinpoint which pieces of valuable silverware to take, according to museum staff. The stolen items included the Hurlingham Grand Military Polo trophy, statuettes of mounted soldiers, and a cavalry trumpet.
However, Gallon’s plan was not foolproof. He inadvertently left behind a decorative Halloween skeleton in the former military stables under the museum, right below the hole he had cut. Moreover, his DNA was found on the base of a silver cup that he failed to pass through the floor gap, leading to his quick identification by the police despite his denials of ever visiting the museum.
Two other individuals, a 24-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man, have also been arrested in connection with the theft and are currently under investigation. Sadly, the stolen artifacts have yet to be recovered, and there are fears that these irreplaceable relics may have already been melted down.
The museum’s curator, Steve Cox, criticized Gallon’s 40-month sentence as overly lenient. He expressed concern that Gallon could be released on license in just 15 months, which he believes offers no real deterrent against such crimes. Cox lamented the loss of the priceless items, emphasizing their historical significance and the memories they held, especially for the servicemen and the community. Some of the stolen items had been commissioned in memory of those who lost their lives in the First World War, making their disappearance all the more tragic.