A RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT ACCUSED POLICE INVESTIGATI

A RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT ACCUSED POLICE INVESTIGATING AN
ART ROBBERY OF CORRUPTION WHEN THEY OFFERED TO RETURN STOLEN
PAINTINGS IF THE ‘REWARD’ WAS BIG ENOUGH, A COURT HEARD TODAY

(THURS).

DEREK SHERBORN, A FORMER OFFICIAL IN THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS
SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, LOST MORE THAN
#60,000-WORTH OF PAINTINGS AND ANTIQUES IN AN ARMED ROBBERY AT
HIS FAMILY HOME – FAWNS MANOR, BEDFONT, MIDDLESEX, IN 1982.

BUT WITHIN WEEKS OF THE THEFT A DETECTIVE FROM HOUNSLOW
C.

I.

D.

AND OFFICERS FROM THE NOW DISBANDED FINE ART SQUAD MADE
TWO SEPARATE OFFERS TO RECOVER THE PAINTINGS IF THE PRICE WAS RIGHT,

A JURY WERE TOLD .

MR SHERBORN, 64, WHO SAID HE HAD TO LEAVE THE HOME HIS FAMILY

HAD OWNED FOR 600 YEARS BECAUSE OF ROBBERIES, COMPLAINED OF THE

‘DISGRACEFUL’ BEHAVIOUR OF THE OFFICERS TO THE POLICE COMPLAINTS
COMMITTEE.

‘THEY UPHELD ALL MY COMPLAINTS’, HE TOLD ISLEWORTH CROWN
COURT.

‘I WAS REALLY COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WAY THESE THINGS –
STOLEN ITEMS – SEEMED TO BE OFFERED BACK TO ME BY POLICE, WHICH I
THOUGHT PECULIAR.

‘FIRST A DETECTIVE SERGEANT TREASURE SAID HE HAD NEWS OF THE
PAINTINGS AND IF THERE WAS SUFFICIENT REWARD HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO
GET THEM BACK.

‘THEN THERE WAS AN OCCASION WHEN THE FINE ARTS AND ANTIQUE
SQUAD RANG ME WITH A SIMILAR OFFER.

THEN I WAS VISITED BY THE
FRAUD SQUAD WHO WERE INVESTIGATING THE FINE ART SQUAD.

‘AFTER I HAD BEEN OFFERED THEM BACK TWICE FROM THE POLICE
AND THEY DIDN’T COME BACK I FELT VERY SUSPICIOUS.

‘
MR SHERBORN, WHO NOW LIVES IN BRIGHTON, ADDED ‘I HAD
SUSPICIONS ABOUT THAT SQUAD WHICH WERE CONFIRMED IN INTERVIEWS
WITH OTHER OFFICERS’.

HE WAS GIVING EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION AGAINST FOUR MEN

WHO WERE ARRESTED AFTER THE PAINTINGS REAPPEARED THREE YEARS LATER.

THEY ARE FREDERICK BRAZIL, 47, A LORRY DRIVER, OF
FLODDEN STREET, CAMBERWELL, DENNIS ROTHER, 31, UNEMPLOYED OF
BADRIC ROAD, BATTERSEA, AND HIS BROTHER ROBERT, 35, A DEMOLITION
WORKER, OF WENHA HOUSE, ASCALON STREET, SOUTH LAMBETH, DENY
DISHONESTLY HANDLING FOUR PAINTINGS BEFORE OCTOBER LAST YEAR.

BRAZIL FURTHER DENIES HANDLING A PORTRAIT OF ANGELICA
KAUFFMAN.

GEORGE HENSHAW, 52, A FERRY STEWARD OF EASTCLIFFE,
DOVER ALSO DENIES HANDLING.

CROSS EXAMINED BY ANDREW MITCHELL, COUNSEL FOR DENNIS
ROTHER, MR SHERBORN TOLD THE COURT HE COMPLAINED ABOUT DS
TREASURE BECAUSE ‘I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPRIETY OF THE
CASE’.

ASKED IF HE ASSUMED TREASURE HAD ‘BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE
ROBBERS OR SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM?’ MR SHERBORN REPLIED: ‘YES, I
SUPPOSE SO.

‘
HE SAID HE THOUGHT DS TREASURE HAD BEHAVED ‘DISGRACEFULLY’
ADDING ‘THAT WAS WHY HE WAS DISMISSED.

.

.

IF HE WAS DISMISSED.

‘

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS