Metal Detectorists on Trial for Alleged Theft of Treasure

Four British artefact hunters are on trial after failing to declare £3 million in Anglo Saxon coins and jewellery they found in June 2015 (Mirror says 'April 2015')  in a field and allegedly attempting to sell it on the black market instead (Lara Keay, 'Four metal detectorists 'stole £3million haul of Anglo Saxon coins and jewellery after finding it in a field and tried to sell it on the black market'...' Mail Online, 3 October 2019). There was a ninth century gold ring, a crystal ball with gold strips (usually dated earlier than ninth century which is interesting), perhaps 300 coins (some had been sold before the rest were recovered) of Alfred the Great and Ceolwulf of Mercia (like in the Lancashire Hoard), with few other issues as well. There was an ingot and a large ninth century bracelet

George Powell, 38, and Layton Davies, 51, found [the hoard] when they were out with their metal detectors in Hertfordshire in June 2015. They discovered the treasure underground near Eye Court Farm near Leominster. The prosecution claim instead of declaring the haul, as the law requires, they conspired with Paul Wells, 60, and Simon Wicks, 57, to sell the goods for a profit. All four went on trial today accused of conspiring to conceal treasure at Worcester Crown Court. [...] Jurors heard all four men were aware of the law that states buried treasure must be declared, but chose to ignore it and proceeded to sell the items in small batches to a number of customers.

Powell and Davies were both experienced metal detector users and knew that this was no ordinary find, they apparently decided to treat the find as theirs and not to declare it to the landowner, the tenant farmer and the coroner, as the prosecutor says: 'in short, they stole it'.

Powell and Davies did not tell the farmers but they did tell Wells, who had an interest in such items.' Mr Hegarty said Powell, Davies and Wells took the items to an antiques dealer and conducted their own internet research to establish the value of the items. Emails show they were aware of the Treasure Act, which states they must declare buried treasure, but [...] Powell and Davies together with Wicks went about selling the items to a variety of individuals and organisations, including more than 20 coins to auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb. Around 30 coins plus the jewellery have been recovered by police from the various people the defendants sold to as well as from their home addresses. Wicks had even hidden some of the coins within the handle of a magnifying glass, jurors were told. But [...] the rest of the hoard could still be at large and may never be brought back together again. 

The court was told that the value of the hoard would be £3 million.

The court heard Powell and Davies were arrested and questioned in August 2015 and then again in June 2016. Wells was arrested on September 10, 2015, while Wicks was arrested in November 2015. Powell, of Newport, Wales, and Davies, of Pontypridd, Wales, have pleaded not guilty to theft. Powell, Davies, Wells, of Rumney, Cardiff, and Wicks, of Hailsham, East Sussex, deny conspiracy to conceal criminal property. Powell, Davies and Wicks deny conspiracy to convert criminal property - namely by selling it. The trial, which is due to last a month, will resume tomorrow.

It is interesting that it seems from this that they are not being charged under the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003, as originally suggested, which really shows what a crap piece of legislation the UK wrote itself there.

The Mirror (Martin Fricker, 'Metal detectorists 'covered up finding £3million of rare coins and jewellery' Mirror, 3rd Oct 2019) has a slightly variant story (see above) and adds:

Jurors were told Powell and Davies met an antiques dealer days after finding the haul and showed him 12 coins. He advised them to declare the find to the coroner after they bragged of discovering “far more”, it is claimed. But they allegedly did nothing until a local finds officer, who had heard about the discovery, emailed Powell. [...] the duo took the jewellery to the National Museum of Wales and signed it over to staff. They also brought along two coins and claimed to have each discovered them in separate locations. The prosecutor said: “This was a particularly cute ruse because if a coin is found on its own it does not qualify as treasure.” Powell and Davies also allegedly handed over “virtually worthless” coins to the farmer who leased the land where they found the haul. Mr Hegarty said: “They kept the valuable coins they had found and then started to release them into the market.” He said the pair contacted Simon Wicks, 56, who began trying to sell them to dealers across the UK. Detectives were alerted to the alleged scam and arrested Powell in August 2015, just five weeks after the haul was discovered. The court heard police later searched the home of Paul Wells, 60, and found four coins stashed in the handle of a magnifying glass. Powell, of Newport, South Wales, and Davies, of Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, both deny theft. 

This hoard find should not be confused with the Leominster Roman hoard, of 518 coins on land owned by a Mr Treasure in  2013.