Latest news with #Bonhams
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Museum manager, 66, stole precious artefacts over almost two decades and sold them for more than £50,000, court hears
A museum manager stole precious artefacts for over almost two decades before selling them for more than £50,000, a court has heard. Stephen Harris, 66, former operations manager at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse in Norfolk, has been accused of stealing several items from the collections by Norfolk Museums Service. The alleged thefts, said to have been revealed following an on-going investigation that took place over several years, are believed to have included prestigious items such as two saucers, ceramics, glass and coins. At Norwich Magistrates' Court, Mr Harris was accused of selling off the precious items at auctions by pretending that they were his own, Eastern Daily Press has reported. While the 'full value' of the alleged thefts are yet to be calculated, Nicole Lamb, prosecuting said that they were believed to be '£52,000 or possibly more'. She revealed that Mr Harris allegedly used his access while working as an employee in order to take the collection items being kept in storage. Some of the items Mr Harris is said to have stolen raised an estimated £15,000 when sold at Bonhams, a prestigious privately-owned international auction house that specialises in items such as fine art, jewelry and antiques. Ms Lamb added that given the significant 'abuse of trust' by Mr Harris, his suspected crimes were too serious to be heard by the magistrates. But Rob New, for the defence, said that Mr Harris 'emphatically denies these allegations'. Mr Harris, from Mattishall, Norfolk, pleaded not guilty to theft by employee between 2005 and 2022 and the concealing, disguising and transferring of money raised from selling stolen antiques. He also denied four counts of fraud by false representation over the dishonest selling of items at Bonhams, Keys auctioneers at Aylsham, alongside Lockdales at Martlesham, near Ipswich. Mr Harris was given unconditional bail ahead of a further hearing at Norwich crown court on August 26. Norfolk Museum Service, which preside over 10 museums across the county such as Norwich Castle Museum, declined to provide any additional details regarding their investigation. A spokesperson told The Telegraph: 'Due to the ongoing legal process, we are not in a position to provide further comment at this time.' Norfolk Museums Service, Gresenhall Farm and Workhouse, Bonhams, Keys auctioneers and Lockdales have all been approached for comment. In the summer of 2023, a British Museum worker was sacked after being accused of stealing priceless treasures that included jewellery, gems and precious metals spanning more than three millennia of history over a number of years. Peter John Higgs was dismissed after items were found to be 'missing, stolen or damaged'. It was later claimed that he was named to bosses more than three years prior - after items such as jewellery from the venerated Townley Collection of Graeco-Roman artefacts allegedly went up for sale on eBay - but kept his job. In March last year, the British Museum launched legal action against Mr Higgs, claiming he stole 1,800 gems and treasures and sold them on eBay over a decade. The world-renowned museum asked the High Court to order eBay and Paypal records be disclosed from Dr Peter Higgs' account, claiming they will contain evidence of the items being sold. It told the court Dr Higgs was selling items for over 10 years to 45 buyers from around the globe using 'false names' and 'manipulating records', the BBC reported. The museum's lawyers claim that the allegedly stolen items came from unregistered collections held in storage. The curator - who denies all the claims against him - is also accused of altering records. Mr Higgs' family have maintained his innocence, with his son Greg previously telling The Times: 'He's not done anything. He's not happy about it at all' But an audit last year found that 80 per cent of the items from the collection were missing from the same storeroom. Daniel Burgess and Warren Fitt Legal on behalf of the museum told the court that a 1993 audit showed 1,449 unregistered items in the storeroom, but another one in 2023 found there were 1,161 missing. Dr Higgs worked in the Greek and Rome department from 1999 until 2023 and was promoted to the 'very senior and prestigious' position of acting keeper in 2021. The curator - who denies all the claims against him - is also accused of altering records. But Mr Higgs' family have maintained his innocence, with his son Greg previously telling The Times: 'He's not done anything. He's not happy about it at all. He's lost his job and his reputation and I don't think it was fair. 'It couldn't have been [him]. I don't think there is even anything missing as far as I'm aware.'
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Here's your chance to own a very rare, very cool 2,000-mile Peugeot 205 T16
Here's your chance to own a very rare, very cool 2,000-mile Peugeot 205 T16 Buy some wheel arches, get a mid-engined Pug for free! Skip 17 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 17 Hot hatches: they're fun, fast, and... practically extinct. So if you've got a fair bit of cash to burn and a craving for the good old days, here's a mint Peugeot 205 T16 up for grabs over at Bonhams. Built to compete in the wild era of Group B, the racing T16 dominated the series in the mid-Eighties and snatched the WRC title in '85 and '86, winning 16 rallies all in. For that to happen, Peugeot of course needed to build 200 road-going homologation cars. This is one of them. Advertisement - Page continues below And it's got to be one of the cleanest examples left alive, showing just 3,216km (1,998 miles) on its odometer and not a smidge of decay in its cabin. That kinda explains the guide price of between $250k to $350k (£190k to £260k). Yikes indeed. So, apart from a bit of history, what are you getting for your money? For starters, a peppy turbocharged, mid-mounted four-pot which sends 197bhp/188lb ft to all four wheels via a five speed manual 'box. You also get arches and scoops for days, and a superb set of wheels. The previous keeper is said to have spent over $200k on restorative work, including a new clutch, coolant lines, radiator and suspension. With this in mind, the guide price doesn't seem... too bad? Maybe? Images: Bonhams Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Auto Blog
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Ayrton Senna's final Honda F1 V10 engine is up for grabs
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. View post: These Are the Slowest-Selling Cars In the U.S. Right Now View post: Amazon Is Selling a 'Top-Notch' $20 Anker Charger Adapter for 40% Off, and It's 'Performance Is Fantastic' F1 Relic Will Be Sold In Disassembled Form Few names in Formula One history are as evocative as Ayrton Senna, who won three championships in inimitable style with a combination of McLaren chassis and Honda V10 engines that was nearly unbeatable. Well-heeled F1 fans will soon have an opportunity to own a significant piece of that history. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the automaker's motorsports division, is releasing the last Honda V10 engine raced by Senna. Number V805, a 3.5-liter RA100E engine, will be part of the Bonhams auction at The Quail, one of the anchor events of Monterey Car Week, scheduled for August 15. The sale will kick off HRC's new memorabilia business, announced this past April, for the sale of vintage cars, engines, and parts. 0:00 / 0:09 VW will introduce a sub-$20,000 EV, but probably not here Watch More End Of An Era The RA100E engine was installed in the McLaren MP4/5B, the team's 1990 F1 car. That season is famous for the battle between Senna and former teammate Alain Prost, who had moved to Ferrari after a toxic rivalry between the two drivers developed at McLaren. Senna took the driver's title by crashing into Prost at the penultimate Japanese Grand Prix, while McLaren won the constructor's championship. Honda replaced the RA100E V10 with the RA121E V12 for the following season, in which Senna and McLaren once again clinched the driver's and constructor's championships, respectively. But the competitiveness of McLaren-Honda dropped off in 1992, and Honda left F1 after that season due to concerns about the unstable Japanese economy. The V12s' short competitive life means they're not as fondly remembered as Honda's F1 V10s, which represent the automaker's peak in the sport. McLaren-Honda was the dominant force in F1 during the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, winning the constructors' championship every year except 1992. And Honda powered all three of Senna's driver's titles. Perfect For Your Living Room Screenshot RA100E engine number V805 was used by Senna during a warmup sessions for the fateful 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, but not during the race in which Senna crashed into Prost. It was then used as Senna's race engine during the 1990 Australian Grand Prix—the last race of the season, and Honda's V10 era. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. According to a Honda press release, F1 engines from that era are usually returned to Japan, taken apart to look for wear and fatigue, and then discarded. But because the focus had already shifted to next season's V12 by the time engine V805 was built, it was left intact and forgotten in a warehouse until last year, according to the auction listing. This engine won't be sold in its original state, though. It was disassembled and placed in a display case, making it all the easier to admire the engineering of one of F1's greatest eras. If you have space in your living room and a spare $80,000-$120,000 (the Bonhams' estimated hammer-price range), it can be yours. About the Author Stephen Edelstein View Profile
Mint
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Gandhi's only known oil portrait, painted during 1931 London visit, sells for over ₹1.75 crore at Bonhams auction
A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, painted in 1931 during his historic visit to London, has been sold for £152,800 (approximately ₹ 1.75 crore) at a Bonhams auction — more than double its estimated price of £50,000 to £70,000. The painting, created by British artist Clare Leighton, is believed to be the only oil portrait for which Gandhi personally sat. According to Bonhams, it had never before been offered at auction and was the top lot in the "Travel and Exploration" sale held online between July 7 and 15. The portrait was completed during Gandhi's attendance at the Second Round Table Conference in London, where he represented the Indian National Congress to discuss constitutional reforms for India. The artist, Clare Leighton, was introduced to Gandhi by political journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, a known supporter of the Indian independence movement. The artwork remained in Leighton's personal collection until her death in 1989, after which it was passed on to her family. The portrait carries a complex history; Leighton's family recalled that it may have been attacked with a knife by an RSS activist during a public exhibition in 1974. Documentation attached to the frame confirms the painting was restored that same year by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory. This is not the first time a portrait of Gandhi has fetched a significant price at auction. In 2017, a rare pencil portrait of Gandhi sold for £32,500 — roughly four times its estimated value.
Mint
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Gandhi's only known oil portrait, painted during 1931 London visit, sells for over ₹1.75 crore at Bonhams auction
A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, painted in 1931 during his historic visit to London, has been sold for £152,800 (approximately ₹ 1.75 crore) at a Bonhams auction — more than double its estimated price of £50,000 to £70,000. The painting, created by British artist Clare Leighton, is believed to be the only oil portrait for which Gandhi personally sat. According to Bonhams, it had never before been offered at auction and was the top lot in the "Travel and Exploration" sale held online between July 7 and 15. The portrait was completed during Gandhi's attendance at the Second Round Table Conference in London, where he represented the Indian National Congress to discuss constitutional reforms for India. The artist, Clare Leighton, was introduced to Gandhi by political journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, a known supporter of the Indian independence movement. The artwork remained in Leighton's personal collection until her death in 1989, after which it was passed on to her family. The portrait carries a complex history; Leighton's family recalled that it may have been attacked with a knife by an RSS activist during a public exhibition in 1974. Documentation attached to the frame confirms the painting was restored that same year by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory. This is not the first time a portrait of Gandhi has fetched a significant price at auction. In 2017, a rare pencil portrait of Gandhi sold for £32,500 — roughly four times its estimated value. The sale highlights both the historical and symbolic value of rare visual representations of Gandhi, particularly those created during critical moments in India's struggle for independence.
