In an unusual turn of events, the discovery of a £3 million treasure led two friends, George Powell and Layton Davies, down a path that ended in incarceration. Initially, the duo’s misadventure began when they unearthed a cache of gold jewellery, silver ingots, and hundreds of coins buried by an unknown individual over 1,000 years ago in early medieval Britain.
The excitement of finding such a significant treasure quickly turned to dismay as the friends realized their mistake. Without obtaining permission from the landowner as required, Powell and Davies hastily stashed the valuable Anglo-Saxon artifacts into a carrier bag before returning to Wales. Instead of following the law and reporting their find, they shared images of it online, leading to their downfall.
Despite the efforts of Peter Reavill, a finds liaison officer for the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, to guide Powell and Davies on the proper course of action, the pair ignored his advice. While they surrendered the gold jewelry to Museums Wales, the majority of the coins, up to 270, remained missing. Subsequently, a police investigation was initiated, resulting in the conviction of both friends for theft and concealing their discoveries.
Powell and Davies ultimately faced jail sentences for their actions, with Powell’s initially 10-year term later reduced to six-and-a-half years, and Davies’ eight-and-a-half-year sentence shortened to five. Despite serving their time, the two men were ordered to repay approximately £600,000 each due to suspicions that they were still illegally concealing a portion of the treasure. The estimated value of the hoard varied from £2 million to £10 million, with ongoing legal actions unfolding even after their release
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