Two 22-year-old British Royal Air Force (RAF) engineers, Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, were sentenced to steep fines and community service after being found guilty of vandalizing and stealing a statue of Paddington Bear in Newbury, England.
On March 2, the intoxicated men were caught on surveillance footage kicking and damaging the statue, which depicted the beloved bear eating a marmalade sandwich on a park bench. Their actions resulted in part of the statue being stolen and taken back to the RAF Odiham barracks, where they returned shortly after 2 a.m.
The incident occurred in Newbury, which is the birthplace of Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond, making the crime even more significant for the community.
The two men were tracked down by the Thames Valley Police and arrested at the air force barracks later that same day.
