A former museum operations manager faces allegations of systematically pilfering historical artefacts from a Norfolk heritage site across nearly twenty years, with prosecutors claiming the stolen items fetched over £50,000 at auction.
Stephen Harris, aged 66, who previously held a managerial position at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, stands accused of exploiting his workplace access to remove valuable objects from the museum’s storage facilities between 2005 and 2022.
The 66-year-old appeared before Norwich Magistrates’ Court where prosecutors outlined allegations that he misappropriated collection pieces including ceramics, glassware, coins and two saucers, subsequently offering them for sale whilst falsely claiming ownership.
Prosecutors told the court that Harris allegedly targeted prestigious pieces from Norfolk Museums Service’s collections, with some items generating substantial sums through renowned auction houses.
Prosecutor Nicole Lamb told the court that while the complete valuation is still under review, the suspected thefts amount to “£52,000 or possibly more”.
The court heard that certain artefacts, allegedly stolen by Harris, were approximately £15,000 when auctioned through Bonhams, the internationally recognised fine art and antiques specialist.
Additional sales allegedly occurred via Keys auctioneers in Aylsham and Lockdales in Martlesham, near Ipswich, where Harris is accused of fraudulently presenting the museum pieces as his personal property.
Harris’s defence solicitor Rob New said his client “emphatically denies these allegations”.
GOOGLE MAPS
|
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse where Harris was an operations manager
The Mattishall resident entered not guilty pleas to multiple charges including theft by an employee spanning 2005 to 2022, and concealing, disguising and transferring proceeds from the sale of allegedly stolen antiquities.
He further denied four fraud charges relating to false representation, connected to the purported dishonest sale of artefacts through Bonhams, Keys auctioneers and Lockdales.
Prosecutors argued that Harris had abused his position of trust as operations manager.
They also alleged he utilised his authorised access to storage areas to remove the historical objects from Norfolk Museums Service’s custody.
The magistrates determined that the alleged offences warranted transfer to crown court due to their severity, with Lamb highlighting the significant “abuse of trust” involved.
Harris received unconditional bail and will next appear at Norwich Crown Court in late August.
Norfolk Museums Service oversees 10 museums throughout the county, including Norwich Castle Museum.
The service declined to provide any further details about their investigation.
GOOGLE MAPS
|
Harris allegedly used his access to take the collection items being kept in storage
A spokesperson for the service told The Telegraph: “Due to the ongoing legal process, we are not in a position to provide further comment at this time.”
The investigation’s findings emerged following what prosecutors described as extensive enquiries conducted over several years.