A burglar carried out a Christmas morning raid on Grantham’s St Wulfram’s Church after smashing an historic stained-glass window.
Lee Gray caused more damage inside the renowned church before making off with cash and a safe which contained valuable books together with confidential documents.
Lincoln Crown Court was told that just hours earlier Gray, 38, visited the church on a “scouting mission” to check out what was inside and how to get in.
Luc Chisnall, prosecuting, said: “Ten hours later he returned at 3.55am when he made good his plan to break into the church by kicking in a stained-glass window which was a particularly precious item.
“In doing so he gained entry onto the roof of the parish office and he climbed through the window.
“Shortly after his entry he disabled the closed-circuit television system.
“He made an untidy search, undoubtedly looking for money. He stole a safe which contained a relatively small sum of cash but also some valuable documents.”
Among the items taken was an original manuscript of a book about St Wulfram, the patron saint of the church.
Also taken were the banns of marriage for the area, instructions from parishioners for their desired funeral arrangements, cash from a collection box and a number of sets of keys to the church building.
The stained-glass window, which had been paid for by a local benefactor and installed during a 19th century refurbishment of the building, cost £6,500 to replace and the church had to spend a further £5,000 on replacing the locks.
The total cost of the damage and the items stolen was £15,229.
Mr Kwong said: “The reaction of the church and community was one of shock and dismay this being seen as a sacrilege occurring on Christmas morning itself.
“The volunteer members of the Church Council and others within the church spent a substantial amount of Christmas Day and the following days dealing with the aftermath of this. The effect of this is that Christmas 2019 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.”
The court was told that Gray had 20 previous convictions for a total of 46 offences.
Gray, 38, of Welham Street, Grantham, admitted burglary on Christmas Day 2019 and was jailed for two years.
Judge Simon Hirst told him: “The circumstances of this are so serious that it can only be immediate custody.”
Joey Kwong, in mitigation, said “He is ashamed of himself. He does not remember what happened as he was so high.”
He said Gray has changed his lifestyle since committing the burglary.
Mr Kwong said: “He is living with his partner. He has kept out of trouble and he is no longer taking drugs.”
Detective Sergeant Remy Simon of Grantham CID says: “Breaking into a church in the early hours of Christmas Day morning really shocked us.
“It showed a total disregard for the church, the local community and Gray’s actions couldn’t have been more incompatible with the spirit of the season.
“We welcome this sentence and will continue to protect our communities from those that seek to swindle from our properties and residents in Grantham.”
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We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.