Churchill photo thief sentenced to two years in jail

A Canadian man has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison. He stole a famous photograph of Sir Winston Churchill called "The Roaring Lion."

Jeffrey Wood pleaded guilty to stealing the original print. This theft occurred at Ottawa's Château Laurier hotel between Christmas 2021 and early January 2022. He also admitted to committing forgery.

The photo, taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, features on the UK £5 note. It shows a frowning Churchill, who was 67 at the time. This was shortly after he spoke to the Canadian parliament.

Ottawa Police found the stolen photo last year in Genoa, Italy. A private buyer had it but did not know it was stolen.

In August 2022, a hotel staff member discovered that the original photo had been replaced with a fake.

Wood claimed he took the photo to help his brother, who had mental health issues.

During sentencing, Justice Robert Wadden emphasized national pride in Canadian photography. He noted that such theft breaches public trust in shared properties.

Geneviève Dumas, general manager of Château Laurier hotel, expressed happiness about recognizing Canadian history.

Wood received a sentence of "two years less a day." This means he will serve his time in a provincial institution instead of federal prison.

His lawyer argued that the sentence was "unnecessarily harsh" for a first-time offender.