Further prison sentence for man who stole treasure hoard

[Hereford Voice]

A man, who was convicted of stealing an Anglo- Saxon treasure hoard, has been handed a further prison sentence after failing to fully repay a £600,000 confiscation order.

Layton Davies, aged 56, will serve a further 5 years and 4 months in prison after a court hearing last week.

The confiscation order was made in December 2022, and he was ordered by a judge to repay a total of £603,180.09 within three months. The judge made a hidden assets order, which took into account the wholesale value of 300 coins, which were believed to still be held in his possession.  By serving his prison sentence in default of the payment, he will still be liable for the outstanding payment which remains with him for life or until it is paid in full.

Davies only repaid around half of the confiscation order. From this, the land owners and those who were sold coins by Davies from the horde which were later seized, received some reimbursement.

In 2019, Davies was convicted of theft, conspiracy to conceal criminal property and conspiracy to convert criminal property.  He was sentenced eight years in prison, later reduced to five years following a successful appeal.

The conviction followed a lengthy investigation by West Mercia Police following several reports from the metal detecting community and the British Museum of an unreported large treasure find near Eye in Herefordshire in 2015.

It was discovered that Davies had visited the site of the hoard, which included Anglo-Saxon coins, jewellery and silver ingots during Spring 2015.  He not only failed to disclose the extent of the discovery he was involved in- a requirement under the Treasure Act 1996 - but also sold a large number of the items for significant personal financial gain.

The treasure was described by experts as being of national importance both for Anglo-Saxon coinage and for the wider understanding of a key period in English history.

DC Stevyn Pritchett from the Economic Crime Unit said “This case exemplifies how seriously the police and courts take financial crime, and the significant implications of failing to repay confiscation orders.

Davies will still be liable to repay the outstanding amount, even when his extended sentence is served. Criminals cannot profit from their actions.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved in this unusual case, including Herefordshire County Council’s conservation and environment team and The British Museum, for their support throughout the justice process.”