A man who stole a £300,000 viola left on a train in Kent has been ordered to serve a six-month suspended sentence and pay court costs of £3,500.
Stephen Tillyer, 49, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court today (Wednesday, 16 September), to be sentenced for two counts of theft following the incident on Monday, 26 January. Last month, he was found guilty of both offences following a trial.
The court heard how two passengers travelling separately on the London Cannon Street to Dover train both left their luggage behind on the train when they alighted at Marden station.
The first victim, a musician, quickly realised he had left his viola on the train and immediately called police for their assistance. The viola case contained his 16th century viola, valued at £300,000 and two 19th century bows, each valued at £35,000.
When the train was searched at Dover station the instrument was missing and officers viewed on-board CCTV as part of their investigation.
Tillyer, of Gloster Close, Folkestone, Kent, was seen walking through a total of six carriages, retracing his steps and walking back through the train. In the fourth carriage he was recorded picking up a blue rucksack from a seat. He continued to walk up to the seat where the first victim sat, and took the instrument case down from the luggage rack, moving towards the exit.
Despite opportunities to hand both pieces of luggage into train staff, Tillyer was seen on CCTV walking rapidly away from an approaching member of staff before leaving the train at Folkestone West.
Two days later, officers conducted a return visit to Folkestone West. When Tillyer left the train, he was arrested on suspicion of theft. He admitted removing the items from the train but denied stealing them and walked officers over to his car in the station car park. Both the viola and blue bag were recovered from the boot of his car and returned to their owners.
Officers soon established that the owner of the rucksack was a teenage boy and the contents included school books and homework.
At court on Wednesday, Tillyer was given a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, in relation to the theft of the viola, and a three month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for the theft of the rucksack, to run concurrently. He was also ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £3,500 in court costs.
Detective Constable Bob Gee, who led the investigation, said: “This case should serve as a stark warning to anyone who even considers removing lost property from a train with the intention of keeping it for themselves.
“Items left behind on a train should always be handed in to train staff or a lost property office – if in doubt, leave the item for a member of staff to recover.
“If you remove someone else’s items from a train, and do not immediately hand them in to police or train staff, the likelihood is you will be identified and you will be caught. The railway network is a CCTV-rich environment and it is simply not worth the risk.
“I would also like to remind all passengers to remember to keep your belongings near you when you travel to avoid becoming a victim of crime.”
This investigation forms part of BTP’s Operation Magnum, a nationwide crackdown on the theft of passenger property on the railway.
There are a number of steps people can take to keep their property as safe as possible when on the rail network:
• Keep purses secure and carry wallets in an inside pocket
• Zip up hand and shoulder bags
• Carry bags in front of you, with flaps against your body
• Keep straps short and bags tucked under your arm
• Don’t display jewellery, mobile phones and MP3 players
• Don’t show your money – keep it safely in your pocket
• Stay alert and aware of what’s going on around you when using your phone in public
• Keep your luggage close by and check it regularly