A CHURCH roof lead thief who was caught red handed by the vicar and a lay preacher after they saw a pair of legs dangling from the building has been jailed. 

Sending Claude Denham to prison for 14 months, Judge Angela Morris told the 30-year-old that thefts of lead risked “destroying the fabric” of historic buildings.

Together with Jason Wynter, Denham was caught stealing metal from the roof of St James’ Church, Devizes, in September 2019. 

The vicar and a parishioner – taking part in an all-night prayer vigil – called 999 after they heard noises coming from the roof.

Lay worship leader Kirsty Wilmott described seeing a pair of legs through one of the Grade II* listed church’s stained glass windows. 

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Damage to the church roof Picture: ST JAMES' CHURCH

When police reached the scene they found Wynter and Denham. The lead was rolled up and stashed in a stolen Proton Duo getaway car parked up nearby. 

Prosecutor Daniel Sawyer told Winchester Crown Court yesterday that the thefts had done an estimated £33,492 worth of damage, although this did not factor in the damage to the church masonry.

In a victim impact statement, Simon Hickman of Historic England’s south west office said St James’ was part of a legacy of good medieval churches in the county. Responsibility for managing the buildings usually rested on the shoulders of a small number of people, especially in rural areas, and attacks by lead thieves could be a major blow to parish funds.

Denham, of Cranesbill Road, Melksham, pleaded guilty to a single count of theft. The offence was committed while on bail for an unrelated burglary, the court heard. He had 36 convictions for almost 80 offences.

Ann Ellery, mitigating, said her client had had a lesser role in the theft than Wynter. 

She said: “In his naivety he did not consider it to be a ‘victim offence’. He does realise that the damage was severe and in fact there were people affected by it.”

Since being released from prison last year he had begun a relationship with a new partner, with whom he was expecting a baby, and was employed.

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Winchester Crown Court

Sentencing Denham to 14 months’ imprisonment, Judge Morris, the Honorary Recorder of Winchester, said: “Offences such as yours run the risk of destroying the fabric of Grade II listed buildings and as is indicated in the impact statement the care of historic church buildings in the Church of England is funded by each local parish and not supported by central church funds and have only limited access to public funding for urgent works to keep buildings wind and watertight.

“That means all practical and financial responsibility rests on those who attend church services and the generosity of others in the community. 

“What that means is that the burden falls on people committed to restore the damage done by you and those who choose to help themselves to the very fabric of those buildings that keep them wind and watertight.”

Wynter was jailed for 25 months last year after he admitted theft and a number of other offences.