Supreme Court of Canada to hear Churchill portrait thief's sentence appeal

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 30 Apr, 2026 09:11 AM

The man who stole the "Roaring Lion" portrait of Winston Churchill from the Château Laurier in Ottawa will have a chance to appeal his sentence in the Supreme Court of Canada.

The famous image was snapped by photographer Yousuf Karsh during Churchill's wartime visit to the Canadian Parliament in December 1941.

Jeffrey Wood stole the portrait in January 2022, replaced it with a cheap copy and sold the original through a London auction house.

The print was returned to public display at the Ottawa hotel with help from authorities in the United Kingdom and Italy.

Wood was sentenced in May 2025 to two years less a day in jail after pleading guilty to the theft.

The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed his sentence appeal in a two-to-one ruling.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Almost one in three Canadians say U.S. might try to invade Canada: poll

Following the recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, a new poll suggests almost a third of Canadians say the United States might attempt "direct action" to take control of Canada.

Almost one in three Canadians say U.S. might try to invade Canada: poll

Police investigate three unsolved hit-and-runs in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

Police in Vancouver say they're investigating three unsolved hit-and-run collisions in the city's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood since last Nov. 27.

Police investigate three unsolved hit-and-runs in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

Almost 300 millimetres of rain on Vancouver Island in three-day drenching

Flood warnings and watches on British Columbia's south coast have been downgraded or rescinded in the wake of an atmospheric river event that dumped almost 300 millimetres of rain on parts of Vancouver Island over the last few days.

Almost 300 millimetres of rain on Vancouver Island in three-day drenching

School bus rolls off Manitoba highway, 14 students and driver sent to hospital

A Manitoba school division says 14 students and a driver were taken to hospital after a bus rolled off a highway near the Saskatchewan boundary.

School bus rolls off Manitoba highway, 14 students and driver sent to hospital

Feds to contribute money to the fight against extortion in southern Ontario

The federal government says it will give Peel Regional Police up to $1 million to support the force's efforts to fight extortion, provide services to victims and build on the work of a task force.

Feds to contribute money to the fight against extortion in southern Ontario

B.C. home sales and prices both down about 6% last month, amid Lower Mainland slump

British Columbia home sales fell by almost 6 per cent last month on a year-over-year basis, with realtors noting market weakness "concentrated" in the Lower Mainland.