A caterer who committed the ‘despicable crime’ of selling stolen war medals has been caged for nine months.
Anthony East, 40, was jailed on Monday after admitting handling goods taken from the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), in City Road, Finsbury, where he worked for a catering company.
The medals, worth a total of £3,500, belonged to three different war heroes and included British War, Victory and Defence medals.
They were stolen from a display cabinet at the barracks in September last year – East then peddled them to a jeweller in Suffolk, who in turn sold them to a medal dealer.
That night the dealer posted on an internet forum asking for information about the medals, but got a reply saying they were stolen. He called the jeweller to get a refund and then called the police.
Meanwhile another dealer, who the jeweller had also offered the medals to, got a circular email saying the medals were stolen - he replied with the jeweller’s details.
When the HAC contacted the jeweller, he got in touch with East and got most of his money back and then handed the medals over to the police.
Det Con Marcus Johnson, from Islington Serious Acquisitive Crime Unit, said:” These medals were presented in honour of men who served their country and the legacy that they represent.
“There is a wide consensus of belief that deems the handler of stolen goods to be more of a danger to society than the thief. As such, the custodial sentence imposed is fitting of this despicable crime”
East, of Abbotsford Road, Ilford, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods at Blackfriars Crown Court.
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