A burglar who stole a priceless haul of silver from a Nottinghamshire museum after cutting a hole through the floor has been jailed.
Graham Gallon, aged 36, struck in the early hours of Sunday 29 October when he snuck into the grounds of the Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum in Thoresby Park.
Gallon gained access directly to a display case after a hole was cut from underneath.
Once inside the case he stole priceless artefacts including a distinctive parcel and gilt rosewater dish – said to be the sister piece to the Wimbledon women’s singles trophy.
The theft was discovered the following morning by a volunteer, who found a decorative Halloween skeleton left directly under the hole.
The items have not been recovered and officers believe they may have been melted down.
Gallon, already a convicted burglar, was suspected of involvement early on and was later arrested by officers – at which point he denied ever having visited the museum.
However, his DNA was found on the base of a silver cup which he was not able to squeeze through the gap in the floor.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, Gallon, of Carrington Terrace, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to burglary and was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
The case remains open and a 24-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man have also been arrested and remain under investigation.
Detective Constable India Woodrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The people who did this may have got away with silver, but – as we said at the time – they have not got away with the crime.
“Gallon came to our attention very soon in our investigation and I am pleased that we were able to conclusively link him to this offence.
“We do not believe that he acted alone, and our investigation is continuing at pace.
“We are acutely aware, however, that no amount of convictions or jail sentences can bring back these priceless items, which we know meant a huge amount to veterans and museum staff.”
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