Canadians have been sentenced to almost two years in prison for stealing famous photographs of Lord Winston Churchill, known as “growl.”
Jeffrey Wood convicted of stealing the original print from Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa between 2021 and early January 2022. He also acknowledged forgery.
The picture of the British War Prime Minister, taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, is characterized by British £ 5.
Ottawa police said they were found by private buyers who did not know that they were stolen in Genoa, Italy last year.
This image depicts Churchill, who is 67 years old, immediately after his speech to the Canadian council.
By August 2022, the hotel staff realized that the original photo was replaced by fake.
According to Canadian media, Wood said that he took a picture to find money for his brother who is suffering from mental health problems.
Judge Robert Wadden said, “It is a national pride that the portrait taken by a Canadian photographer would have gained such a reputation.”
“There is an element of trust in our society, and that all Canadians can enjoy such property,” he said.
According to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Geneviève Dumas, general manager of Château Laurier Hotel, said, “I am very happy to know that Canadian history is recognized.
Wood has been sentenced to “less than two years”, which will be sentenced by local institutions instead of federal prison.
Wood’s representative lawyer said that the sentence was “unnecessary harsh,” considering that he was the first criminal.
