A Canadian man, Jeffrey Wood, has been sentenced to almost two years in prison for stealing a famous photograph of Sir Winston Churchill, known as “The Roaring Lion”. The iconic image, taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, features Churchill shortly after delivering a speech to the Canadian parliament and is even featured on the UK £5 note. Wood pleaded guilty to stealing the original print from Ottawa’s Château Laurier hotel between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022, and also admitted to forgery.
The photograph was later found in Genoa, Italy, in the possession of a private buyer who was unaware it was stolen. Wood claimed he took the photo to raise money for his brother, who was struggling with mental health issues. Justice Robert Wadden emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage, stating that the theft breached the trust that allows such properties to be displayed and enjoyed by all Canadians.
Wood was sentenced to “two years less a day”, meaning he will serve his sentence in a provincial institution rather than a federal prison. His lawyer argued that the sentence was “unnecessarily harsh” given that Wood was a first-time offender. The Château Laurier hotel’s general manager, Geneviève Dumas, welcomed the sentence, saying it recognized Canadian history.
