Pair accused of raids on Navy war grave

TWO men stole artefacts including a ship’s bell from a Royal Navy war grave, a court heard.

John Blight, 58, and Nigel Ingram, 57, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday, where they were accused of failing to declare artefacts taken from the First World War wreck HMS Hermes.

The court heard that both defendants were involved in “commercial exploitation of shipwrecks” by selling historical artefacts, often as scrap. Ian Hope, prosecuting, said the pair hauled “huge” pieces of wrecks from the seabed using winching equipment on Mr Blight’s boat. They “deliberately and dishonestly” failed to declare them to the authorities, as they were legally obligated to do, Mr Hope said.

About 100 artefacts were seized by authorities from Mr Ingram’s home, including ships’ bells, a torpedo hatch, launch panel, metal ingots and chinaware. They were allegedly worth a total of about £80,000 and had not been reported to the authorities. Some £16,000 in cash was found in a safe at Mr Ingram’s home, the court was told.

Similar wreck items were also found at Mr Blight’s house, Mr Hope said.

Mr Blight, of Winchelsea, East Sussex, denies four counts of fraud. Mr Ingram, of Teynam, Kent, denies the same four counts and possession of criminal property. The trial continues.