'Despicable' Kettering thief stole Poppy Appeal charity box

He had been given a suspended sentence just weeks earlier
A Poppy Appeal collection box.A Poppy Appeal collection box.
A Poppy Appeal collection box.

A 'despicable' thief stole a Poppy Appeal charity box from a Kettering pub days after the nation fell silent to remember our fallen soldiers.

James Sumner had been given a suspended sentence just weeks before the wicked act - but was let off with a fine last month because he hadn't re-offended in the year it had taken for his crime to come to court.

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The 43-year-old was arrested after stealing the charity box at about 10.45am on November 17, 2019, from the Telford Lodge Brewers Fayre in Rothwell Road.

The value of the box, used for donations to The Royal British Legion in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, was unknown.

Ian Hunter, joint-chairman and secretary of The Royal British Legion's Kettering branch, said: "To steal from any charity is a heinous crime, it's not on.

"People freely give their hard-earned cash to their chosen charity and to steal from a charity, particularly one that helps our veterans, is just despicable."

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Sumner, formerly of Grange Road, had his address recorded in court as South Parade in Kettering, which does not exist according to town maps.

He had been given a suspended sentence for thefts on October 23 - less than a month before he stole the Poppy Appeal charity box.

But magistrates in Northampton decided not to take any action on the breach of the suspended sentence, citing that it would be "unjust" because the offence happened more than a year ago and that Sumner had not offended since.

Instead he was fined £120 and ordered to pay compensation of £100.

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Mr Hunter added: "The sentence does not give a strong message to people stealing from anybody, let alone a charity."

Sumner was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £34.

The Poppy Appeal

People wear a poppy as a show of support for the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

It represents all those who lost their lives on active service in all conflicts, from the beginning of the First World War right up to the present day. It also honours the contribution of civilian services and the uniformed services which contribute to national peace and security and acknowledges innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism.

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During the First World War previously beautiful countryside was blasted, bombed and fought over, again and again. The landscape swiftly turned to fields of mud which were bleak and barren where little or nothing could grow. But out of this devastation the delicate but resilient bright red Flanders poppies grew and flourished in their thousands.

In 2019 more than 40 million red poppies were distributed by 40,000 volunteers, raising more than £50m to help support serving and ex-serving members of the armed forces community and their families.