Man who stole £1.7m of antiques from Bedford woman to pay back £208k

A man who stole £1.7m-worth of antiques from the home of an elderly widow alongside his father has been ordered to pay back more than £200,000.

Gary Pickersgill, 43, sold items including Chinese jade and ivory, taken from the 96-year-old woman's home near Bedford.

Last year, Pickersgill was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of theft.

The money will be paid as compensation to the estate of the woman.

Luton Crown Court heard Pickersgill, previously of Saxby Avenue, Skegness, benefitted by £1,928,392.73 from the thefts.

He has agreed to pay back £208,335.73 to the estate of the woman, who has since died, as that was the amount that was available.

If he does not pay the money within six months, he will face another 30 months in prison.

Pickersgill and his father, Des Pickersgill, 84, previously of Clyde Crescent, Bedford, sold the stolen items at auctions.

Des Pickersgill was once a gardener for the victim and he and his son took items from unlocked display cabinets in the woman's home during their visits.

The father and son stole almost 50 items over seven years.

They opened accounts with an auction house in London and passed the antiques off as their own, the court heard.

Their trial heard that one item sold by Gary Pickersgill was an apple green jade bowl which "went for a cool million pounds".

Both Gary and Des Pickersgill were also found guilty of fraud and converting criminal property.

Des Pickersgill was sentenced to six years in prison in September 2021.

Gary Pickersgill's wife, Sarah Pickersgill, 40, of Saxby Avenue, Skegness, was convicted of converting criminal property and was ordered to pay £185,000 in compensation to the estate of the victim or face two years in jail.

She was previously given a two-year community order and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Friends of the Pickersgills, husband and wife Kevin and Tracy Wigmore, of Sapphire Close, Orby, near Skegness, had also helped in the sale of the stolen goods.

Kevin Wigmore, 48. was sentenced to two years behind bars and his 50-year-old wife wife received a nine month sentence suspended for 12 months and was told she must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Kevin Wigmore's benefit was found to be £88,279.52. His available assets were £15,544.06 and he had three months to pay from March or face 10 months in prison.

Tracey Wigmore's benefit was £7,590.19, which was also the available amount. She was given 28 days to pay or face four months in prison on default.

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