According to Ms. Harding, the piedfort had been misplaced. She held onto it for 14 years, but something happened to it sometime during the unfortunate turn of luck after taking it to the museum for an appraisal.
As far as anyone knew, it was, in fact, lost.
Her Defendant Continued to Make a Case
Alan from Coventry said, “Secondly, if it took place 14 years ago, she was only 9 years old.” Continuing he said, “What was the age of criminal responsibility at the time?” He knew.
“For juveniles under the age of 15, the prosecution would still have to prove that she knew that the act was seriously wrong.”
A Bold Assessment
His final opinion found, “As the magistrates’ appalling ignorance of the law has given her a criminal record, I think she should appeal before a real judge.”
The man shared some valid points.
How Determined Was She to Keep It?
Throughout the trials and tribulation, the magistrate brought Ms. Harding, she believed she was in the right to keep her precious memento. She found it legally.
Treasure laws didn’t exist when she was nine and did not apply to a minor. And, for a person grieving such a horrendous loss, it is understandable that she would take a vigilante approach to maintaining what she felt was rightfully hers.
What Would You Have Done?
Many people would have taken the £3,000 payment for the piedfort and avoided any legal hassles. But what if something was more valuable to you than a sum of $10,000?
It’s hard to say what we would do in that situation. But it seems a bit harsh that a museum could harass someone’s life like that.