A Canadian man has been sentenced to almost two years in prison for the audacious theft of the iconic “The Roaring Lion” photograph of Sir Winston Churchill, per bbc.com. Jeffrey Wood, who pleaded guilty to stealing the original print from Ottawa’s prestigious Château Laurier hotel and committing forgery, will serve “two years less a day” in a provincial institution.
The priceless 1941 portrait, captured by renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh, famously features on the UK £5 note. It depicts a stern-faced Churchill shortly after delivering a speech to the Canadian parliament. The theft, occurring between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022, went unnoticed until August 2022 when hotel staff discovered a fake in its place.
The stolen masterpiece was recovered last year in Genoa, Italy, in the possession of an unwitting private buyer. Wood reportedly claimed he took the photo to secure funds for his brother, who was struggling with mental health issues.
During sentencing, Justice Robert Wadden said, “It is a point of national pride that a portrait taken by a Canadian photographer would have achieved such fame.” Geneviève Dumas, General Manager of the Château Laurier, expressed satisfaction, noting, “We’re very happy to see that Canadian history is recognised.” While Wood’s lawyer called the sentence “unnecessarily harsh” for a first-time offender, the judgement underscores the seriousness of cultural property theft.
•Featured image: ‘The Roaring Lion’/Yousuf Karsh/Camera Press
