A MAN charged last month with "theft by finding" of the 13th century manuscript stolen from the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art in Dublin in 1991, was yesterday sentenced to 120 hours of community service at Middlesex Crown Court.
The world atlas, Suwar Al Aqalim, had been valued at £200,000 to £250,000 and has been returned to the library. Justice Inman told Ronald Hartigan that had be been younger he would have faced a custodial sentence but taking account of Mr Hartigan's community work he did not believe this was appropriate.
"This is an offence at the bottom end of, the scale as far as dishonesty is concerned, and although an honest man, Mr Hartigan was tempted to keep the manuscript when he found it in his public house, and he knew he was doing wrong." Mr Hartigan's defence counsel, Mr Ian Leist, told the court that there would be no public interest served" by sending him to prison.
When Mr Hartigan was publican of the Frog and Nightgown Pub in south-east London in 1991, he had discovered the manuscript wrapped in a plastic hag beside the bar. He had not tried to sell the manuscript or to find out to whom it belonged. Mr Hartigan, however, was genuinely remorseful and the incident had bitten into his life, the court was told.
His health had been damaged. He was depressed and needed counselling since his case had come to the courts.