Two Royal Air Force engineers were reprimanded by a judge Tuesday after they admitting to drunkenly vandalizing and stole a Paddington Bear statue in the beloved children’s character’s creator’s hometown in the United Kingdom.
Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22, appeared in Reading Magistrates’ Court to face charges for the March 2 incident in Newbury, birthplace of Paddington author Michael Bond. The pair admitted to criminal damage after surveillance footage caught them kicking and yanking the statue until it broke in half before taking part of it away in a taxi.
Judge Sam Goozee delivered a lecture to the military personnel about how their actions contradicted the character’s values.
“Paddington Bear is a beloved cultural icon with children and adults alike,” Judge Goozee said during the sentencing. “He represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration and acceptance in our society. Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.”
The judge referenced the label famously attached to Paddington’s coat in the stories, noting that it says, “Please look after this bear.”
Prosecutor Jamie Renuka told the court that Heath and Lawrence had been drinking before the vandalism, which occurred on an empty street just before 2 a.m. After damaging the statue, the men transported half of it by taxi to RAF Odiham base, where authorities later discovered the stolen portion in Lawrence’s car.
The vandalized statue was one of 23 Paddington installations placed across England last fall as part of a special trail celebrating the release of “Paddington in Peru.” The damaged statue depicted the character in his iconic blue coat and red hat, gazing skyward while holding a sandwich with orange marmalade about to drip onto his lap.
“You have failed to demonstrate the respect and integrity expected in the military,” the judge told Heath and Lawrence.
Both men received community service orders and were each required to pay £2,725 ($3,527) toward repairs for the damaged statue. The rescued statue is undergoing restoration and will be reinstalled after repairs are complete.
⚖️ Following our investigation, two men have been sentenced for stealing the Paddington Bear statue in Newbury, which you can see in CCTV footage below ⬇️
We did everything we could to locate the beloved statue and bring the offenders to justice.
More ➡️ https://t.co/f0PG4xdLrb pic.twitter.com/g1fKhDIYBx
— TVP West Berkshire (@TVP_WestBerks) March 25, 2025