Man convicted of trying to steal 1215 Magna Carta from
UK cathedral
LONDON: A man who tried steal an original copy of the 1215 Magna Carta, considered to be one of the most important documents in the history of democracy, from an English cathedral was found guilty on Thursday of criminal damage and attempted theft.
Mark Royden, 47, had denied smashing a glass box housing the priceless manuscript in Salisbury cathedral in southern England in 2018.
Salisbury Crown Court heard he had set off a fire alarm in the cathedral cloisters before stunning visitors by hitting the glass case with a hammer, causing three holes in it and damage estimated at 14,000 pounds ($18,400).
Failing to break through the safety glass, he tried to run out of the cathedral but was grabbed by maintenance workers and visitors, including an American tourist.
The parchment, one of only four original copies still surviving, was not damaged. – Reuters