Two drunk men were slapped with a hefty fine after destroying a statue in a town in England.
The pair were captured on video kicking and yanking a statue of Paddington, the fictional orphaned bear who traveled to England from Peru.
Both the accused military personnel pleaded guilty to criminal damage in court this week.
Two drunk men received their sentences for vandalizing the statue of the fictional bear, Paddington
Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both Royal Air Force (RAF) engineers based in Hampshire, were drunk on a night out earlier this month.
While out and about, the pair came across the statue of the bear in Newbury—the hometown of Paddington creator Michael Bond.
In the wee hours of March 2, Daniel and William were captured on surveillance cameras approaching the bear and trying to rip it off its bench.
Daniel Heath and William Lawrence were drunk during their night out in Newbury
They wound up vandalizing the fiberglass statue.
They then took half of it with them in a taxi to RAF Odiham base.
“Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for,” District Judge Sam Goozee said in court.
The broken half of the statue was eventually located in the trunk of William’s car.
Daniel Heath and William “confessed to being the ones responsible for the offense,” prosecutor Jamie Renuka said.
“Mr Lawrence took [the officer] to a vehicle where the Paddington Bear statue was hidden in his boot. Officers seized the statue,” the prosecutor added.
Half of the destroyed Paddington statue was found in the trunk of William’s car
Jamie said Paddington Bear is seen as a “national treasure,” and the vandalism of the statue had a “significant community impact.”
In court, the judge said this was not only “an act of wanton vandalism” but also the opposite of what Paddington stands for.
“Paddington Bear is a beloved cultural icon with children and adults alike,” he said before noting how the bear’s “famous label” asks people to look after the beloved furry friend.
“He represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration and acceptance in our society,” the judge added.
He also said the two RAF engineers failed to uphold their values as military personnel.
Daniel and William were slapped with a fine of £2,725 ($3,527) and ordered to perform community service
The two men each admitted an offense of criminal damage.
They were ordered to perform community work and pay £2,725 ($3,527) each for the statue’s repairs.
The judge said their sentence expected them to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work “as payback to the community for your actions.”
The defense lawyer said his clients were “extremely ashamed” after watching their actions on video
Tom Bryner, the lawyer defending the two engineers, said they have been working for RAF for four years and were due to travel to Cyprus for a three-month deployment.
He said this was the first time Daniel and William had traveled to Newbury, and they didn’t even know they would come across such a statue, let alone plan the vandalism in advance.
They were being “stupid” and were “extremely ashamed” about their behavior, Tom said.
“They do not get many days off, they went to the races, they drank, that had an impact on their decision-making and actions on this occasion,” he said in court.
“They have been stupid, I showed them the footage and they were extremely ashamed about their decisions,” the defense lawyer added.
Owners of the statue hope the original artist will be able to repair the beloved piece
The destroyed bear statue, costing £15,000 (nearly $19,400), was one of 23 Paddington statues installed last fall as part of the Paddington trail across England to promote the release of “Paddington in Peru.”
The polite and well-meaning bear, created by the British author, has starred in a number of books and films. His story kicks off in Peru, with his Aunt Lucy sending him off to London and putting him in the middle of some colorful adventures.
“Please look after this bear,” reads the label attached to his blue coat.
Jars of marmalade and bread were seen in Paddington’s spot after the broken statue was removed
The vandalism of the statue caused “a great deal of upset within the community and local businesses,” according to Trish Willetts, the CEO of Newbury Business Improvement District (BID), which owns the statue.
The company hopes the original artist can repair and restore the statue in exchange for £5,451 ($7,035).
Netizens expressed outrage over the news of the destroyed statue.
“Some awful people in the world today, very sad,” one commenter said, while another asked, “Why would anyone want to do this, they are complete morons and a disgrace to the RAF!!”
Image credits: Manchester Evening News
“Really… someone defending or working for our country. Despicable,” another wrote. “Drunk or not no excuse.”
“There is no reason for anyone to do this, it is unnecessary and downright spiteful,” another agreed.
“What the hell is wrong with people,” one asked. “Thes just no respect for anything. Sheer hooliganism.”
“Appalling behaviour. If they can do this to a statue, I dread to think what they would do to an animal,” another wrote.
“Everything that is wrong with the human race right there,” a social media user said
