Man who Sold Cremation Memorial Plaques Stolen from Churchyard is Jailed

A man who sold memorial plaques stolen from a church yard for scrap metal has been jailed for six months.

The court heard families were distraught after the £140 panels marking where they scattered their cremated relatives’ ashes were taken.

Nathan Hallsworth, 26, admitted handling stolen goods but said he had not known what they were.

Hallsworth, of Birstall, West Yorks, was caught after selling 11kg of dented brass and gilded metal to a scrap merchant in September.

Recorder Richard Woolfall warned others involved also faced jail after hearing 170 plaques, worth £25,000, were taken from the ­remembrance garden at St Mary’s Church in Mirfield, West Yorks.

He told Leeds crown court: “Anyone involved in the theft and handling of memorial plaques can expect a significant custodial sentence.

“Theft of items with such a high sentimental value is a very serious crime.”

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/02/01/man-who-sold-cremation-memorial-plaques-stolen-from-churchyard-is-jailed-115875-23729706/#ixzz1lP2LZUix


SOURCE: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/02/01/man-who-sold-cremation-memorial-plaques-stolen-from-churchyard-is-jailed-115875-23729706/