Paddington vandals 'antithesis' of bear, says judge

Two RAF engineers who broke and stole a Paddington statue have been told by a judge they are the "antithesis" of everything the bear stands for.

Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22 and based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, each admitted an offence of criminal damage at Reading Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The statue in Newbury, Berkshire, was damaged before being taken shortly after 02:00 GMT on 2 March, the court heard.

The pair, who committed the offence while drunk on a night out, have have been ordered to carry out unpaid work and each pay £2,725 to cover the cost of repairs.

On sentencing, district judge Sam Gooze said Paddington Bear was a "beloved cultural icon".

"He represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration and acceptance in our society," he said.

"His famous label attached to his duffle coat says 'please look after this bear'.

"On the night of the 2nd of March 2025, your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.

"Your actions lacked respect and integrity, two values you should uphold as members of the armed forces."

CCTV footage was shown in court in which Heath, of Oakhall Park, Thornton, West Yorkshire, and Lawrence, of John Street, Enderby, Leicestershire, could be seen stopping by the Paddington Bear statue on Northbrook Street and attempting to lift it off the bench.

The seam of the statue then broke off and the pair could be seen walking off with the broken half.

The judge said the men then took the statue in a taxi back to RAF Odiham, and it was later found in the boot of Lawrence's car.

Mr Gooze, who handed each of them a 12-month community order, said the pair had committed "an act of wanton vandalism".

The defendants' defence lawyer, Tom Brymer, told the court they were "extremely ashamed about their actions".

"They are two men who are very different than what we see on the CCTV footage," he said.

The statue was unveiled in Newbury - the home of Paddington's creator Michael Bond - in October 2024.

Mr Gooze said this made the statue in the Berkshire town even more significant.

It was one of 23 placed across the UK as part of the Paddington Visits Trail.

In a statement read out by prosecutor Jaimie Renuka, CEO of Newbury Business Improvement District (BID) Trish Willetts said the remains of the statue had to be covered with a bin bag to prevent it from upsetting children.

The damaged statue was recovered but a date for its return has yet to be confirmed.

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