Alcoholic Lana Clitheroe jailed for stealing “invaluable” war memorial plaque
4:00pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in News By Nina Massey
Missing plaque from the right-hand side
A 42-YEAR-OLD alcoholic has been jailed for stealing an “invaluable” war memorial plaque from a Lewisham church.
Lana Clitheroe, aged 42, of Dundalk Road, Brockley appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court today (January 17), having pleaded guilty to theft by finding at an earlier hearing.
She appeared with 42-year-old Paul Kelly of Arlington Close, Ennerdale Road in Lewisham, who had also pleaded guilty to the same charge.
The court heard that Clitheroe and Kelly found the bronze plaque in a side street and CCTV footage showed the pair wheeling it around in a shopping trolley.
Prosecutor Denise Clewes told the court: “They presented the plaque at Sydenham Scrap Metals where they wanted to sell the item for scrap.”
They both laid the plaque face down on the scales and it weighed 44 kilos – a weight that would normally have expected to be worth £90 to £100.
However, the owner of the premises got suspicious and asked the pair to turn the plaque over. Upon realising what it was he sent them away.
On their way back from the scrap yard, Mr Kelly sold the plaque to a man in white van for £15.
Ms Clewes told the court that when she was arrested Clitheroe said, ‘I was there, but I was only helping’, and that Kelly had offered to buy her a few cans of beer in return for her help.
Bill Chipperfield, representing Clitheroe, told the court that she had been drinking since the age of 11 and has been alcohol dependent for most of her adult life. She was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offence.
The plaque was stolen from St Mary the Virgin Church, Lewisham High Street, on October 19 and has still not been recovered.
It was one of two bearing the names soldiers who fell during the First World War and it is not yet known whether or the names can be recovered.
Sentencing Clitheroe, District Judge Julia Newton said: “The culpability of the defendant is high - no thought was given beyond raising money for alcohol.
“Her risk of re-offending is assessed as high.”
Clitheroe was sentenced to 120 days imprisonment, half of which is to be spent in custody, with the remainder to be served in the community.
Kelly was committed to Inner London Crown Court to be sentenced for this offence, and for a separate, riots-related burglary charge at a later date.
Comments(18)
longshanks2
says...
6:11pm Tue 17 Jan 12
PaulErith
says...
9:42am Wed 18 Jan 12
Banbury Joe
says...
9:46am Wed 18 Jan 12
DCMaddo
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2:34pm Wed 18 Jan 12
As for needing help, all the families that have lost sons, brothers, husbands and fathers in wars, are more deserving of help than these two.
DCMaddo
says...
3:12pm Wed 18 Jan 12
reasonable75
says...
4:07pm Wed 18 Jan 12
Indigenous Pensioner
says...
9:31am Thu 19 Jan 12
the wall
says...
10:30am Thu 19 Jan 12
TheEverardedbutt
says...
10:53am Thu 19 Jan 12
Indigenous Pensioner wrote:If that has made you angry then check this article out.
THis has made me very angry we did not fig ht two world war to have some one do this to our fallen comrades in my country.THank you.
Absolutely disgusting! No wonder she is smiling in the photo.
http://www.thesun.co
.uk/sol/homepage/new
s/4069248/Big-Issue-
seller-from-Romania-
can-claim-20K-housin
g-benefit-news-Judge
-says-she-is-self-em
ployed-and-entitled-
to-payments.html
steve-oh
says...
7:13pm Thu 19 Jan 12
steve-oh
says...
7:13pm Thu 19 Jan 12
steve-oh
says...
7:17pm Thu 19 Jan 12
ashford
says...
8:33pm Thu 19 Jan 12
ashford
says...
8:51pm Thu 19 Jan 12
PaulErith
says...
11:48am Fri 20 Jan 12
TheEverardedbutt wrote:Don't really see what this article about the Big Issue seller has to do with this story??
Indigenous Pensioner wrote: THis has made me very angry we did not fig ht two world war to have some one do this to our fallen comrades in my country.THank you.If that has made you angry then check this article out. Absolutely disgusting! No wonder she is smiling in the photo. http://www.thesun.co .uk/sol/homepage/new s/4069248/Big-Issue- seller-from-Romania- can-claim-20K-housin g-benefit-news-Judge -says-she-is-self-em ployed-and-entitled- to-payments.html
But, at least she's out doing some work in the form of selling a magazine. I can think of plenty of examples of lazy people claiming benefits and sitting on their a*** all day!
no all
says...
9:30pm Sat 21 Jan 12
PaulErith
says...
8:36am Mon 23 Jan 12
no all wrote:Wrong!
alcoholism is not a illness, a illness is something you get not what you do, 120 days, two short. should be 120 days in the army
Marty1979 says...
5:35pm Tue 17 Jan 12