"Now, Don't Do It Again!" Metal detectorists jailed for stealing Viking treasure hoard

All in black and hiding their
faces: Powell and Davies
 arriving at court yesterday
 (Image: PA)  

The saga of the Leominster (Eye Court Farm) Hoard reached some kind of a resolution as a pair of metal detectorists who found and tried to keep Viking treasure worth £3million have been jailed for a collective 18 and a half a years (Milo Boyd, 'Metal detectorists jailed for stealing Viking treasure hoard worth £3 million' Daily Mirror 22 Nov 2019). Sadly, much of the hoard has not been recovered, only these four (or perhaps fewer than four) know where it is.

George Powell, 38, and Layton Davies, 51, found the trove,[...] they tried to hide its true nature so they could make a fortune on the black market. They decided to sell the coins instead.  [...] Coin sellers Simon Wicks and Paul Wells were also convicted on the concealment charge after Powell and Davies contacted them in order to sell the treasure [...]  Sentencing on Friday, Judge Nicholas Cartwright said the men had "cheated" not only the landowner, but also the public of "exceptionally rare and significant" coins. He said: "You cheated the farmer, his mother, the land-owner and also the public when you committed theft of these items. [...] Powell was jailed for 10 years while Davies was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years behind bars. Wicks, 56, was jailed for five years while Wells, 60 - who became unwell during Thursday's hearing - will be sentenced on 23 December.  

Simon Wicks

This gives the message loud and clear that all heritage crime is serious. There are additional details in the ITV REPORT ' Three men jailed after stealing a Viking hoard worth £3 million' 22 November 2019

Two detectorists and a coin seller have been jailed for stealing a Viking hoard worth £3 million. George Powell, 38, and Layton Davies, 51, and Simon Wicks, 57 discovered the treasure at a site in Eye, Herefordshire in 2015. The men stole, concealed and then broke up the coin hoard, offering items for sale to private dealers and auctioneers. [...] They were caught after deleted photos showed a much larger hoard on Davies's phone. The recovery of various coins, including five concealed in a magnifying glass case and volunteered to police by the forth member of the group Simon Wells, 60. Powell, of Newport, Wales was described as having the 'leading' role after appearing alongside his co-defendants at Worcester Crown Court today (November 22). He was jailed for 10 years while caretaker Davies, of Pontypridd, Wales received eight-and-a-half years. Wicks, of Halisham, East Sussex, was jailed for five years. All three men were convicted of conspiracy to conceal criminal property, conspiracy to convert criminal property following a six-week trial. [...] Wells, of Rumney, Cardiff was found guilty of conspiracy to conceal criminal property and will be sentenced on 23 December.

See also BBC:  'Detectorists jailed for £3m Viking hoard theft' 22nd Nov 2019.
Harriet Brewis, 'Viking treasure thieves who stole hoard worth £12m with metal detectors are jailed', Evening Standard 22nd Nov 2019.