Antiques dealer jailed for handling stolen Shakespeare collection

Antiques dealer jailed for handling stolen Shakespeare collection

03 August, 2010
by: Spoonfed Theatre Team

In an attempt to fund a delusionally lavish lifestyle, a twonk has tried to sell a Shakespeare rarity.

After trying to sell a stolen copy of a first collection of Shakespeare plays, 53 year-old Raymond Scott was yesterday sentenced to eight years in jail. The folio was stolen from University of Durham in 1998.  He was found guilty of handling stolen goods and removing stolen goods from Britain.

Scott brought the collection to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC to have it valued. After identifying the book as the stolen Shakespeare folio library sleuths informed the British Embassy, British police and FBI using the 'unbelievably late return' button under the reception desk. In order to disguise the folio, Scott had removed the front and back covers and some of the pages, in what the judge called "cultural vandalisation" of a "quintessentially English treasure". The collection, once worth £3m is now valued at £1m.

The jury was told of Scott's denials in an interview with the police. He said: "Do you seriously think I'm going to walk into the foremost Shakespeare library in the world and, using my own name and address, with my fingerprints all over it, hand them a copy knowing and believing that it's got a doubtful provenance?"

Much like Simon Cowell talking to Joe McElderry after a rendition of something by Miley Cyrus, the judge said "This was an attempt by you to take on the world's experts at their own expertise. You were confident that that balance had been achieved. You were, however, over-confident."

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Spoonfed Theatre Team