A burglar stole £10 from a Cathedral's donation box, caused damage estimated at tens of thousands of pounds to one of Hampshire’s most historic treasures... and crawled away with two broken ankles.
Paul Wild has admitted burglary and criminal damage at Winchester Cathedral estimated at £37,867 to the mortuary chests that hold the bones of Saxon kings and a stained glass windows through which he battered an escape route.
The six mortuary chests are believed to contain the remains of Egbert, King of Wessex, the first monarch to unite England, King Cnut, who famously tried to hold back the tide to prove that he was not a god, William Rufus and Saint Swithun.
Our sister publication the Daily Echo reported Wild suffered five fractures in the 25-foot fall overnight on May 9-10, Winchester Crown Court heard.
It heard the 34-year-old heroin addict was spotted by PC Ben Vanes crawling past the Wessex Hotel towards the taxi rank in The Broadway but that the officer assumed he was drunk.
However soon afterwards PC Vanes was called to the crime scene in the cathedral and made the connection to the crawling man.
PC Vanes then tracked Wild down via the taxi firm to his room at a hostel in Hyde Street, where cathedral donation envelopes were found and he was arrested.
Wild has been jailed for 20 months.
Christopher Wing, prosecuting, said Wild had a £100-a-day crack and heroin habit. He hid himself under the cathedral altar table and waited until the building was closed. Then he emerged and smashed a collection box for the £10 cash inside.
Mr Wing said: “He then found himself unable to get out, so he climbed around the carvings and tombs and mortuary chests.These items are off significant historical importance. They are damaged and it will cost a lot of money to repair them.
“In order to make his way out Wild kicked out panels of stained glass windows which were last restored in the 19th century. He got out of the window and dropped 25 feet and got multiple fractures when he hit the ground.”
Mr Wing said Wild told police he sometime went to the cathedral to pray and was also sometimes suicidal about his drug-ruined life which has see 31 convictions for 67 offences.
Nicholas Cotter, mitigating, said Wild’s life had been blighted by drugs and the need to find money which led to a string of offences.
Mr Cotter said the broken bones were “perhaps a Biblical punishment” and he was still in considerable pain more than three months on.
He said the damage was not malicious but reckless as in his drug-addled state Wild sought to flee the scene.
Jailing Wild, Judge Susan Evans QC said: “Winchester Cathedral is an important symbolic building. It is a unique building that many people work hard to preserve. It is a place of worship and important spiritually to many people. Damage causes real distress. It is valued and loved in this city.
“The cathedral is financially self-supporting. It has insurance but the cost of the claim will mean a greater premium the next year.
“I accept your remorse and that you did not intend to cause the level of damage you did and that you continue to suffer the effects of the fall.”
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