A funeral director and amateur metal detectorist has walked free from court with a suspended sentence after admitting he faked the discovery of a significant Roman artefact, which he had actually bought on eBay.
The Elaborate Deception Unfolds
Jason Price, 54, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, garnered national attention in 2019 when he claimed to have unearthed a rare, three-dimensional copper-alloy Roman horse brooch. He said the find, made during a 'Detecting for Veterans' charity event in a field at Leasingham, Lincolnshire, left him 'shaking' and that his 'jaw fell'. The so-called 'Leasingham Horse Brooch' was hailed as a discovery that could 'rewrite the understanding around Roman brooches'.
The figurine was acquired for £5,000 and placed on display at The Collection Museum in Lincoln. It was even featured on the television programme 'Great British History Hunters' on More4, described as the 'first known of its kind'. Experts initially believed it to be a genuine artefact dating from AD 43-410.
The House of Cards Collapses
Doubts began to emerge in early 2023 as Price continued to submit other items from a second site at Long Bennington. Authorities grew suspicious that items were being 'seeded' – planted in the ground. A Roman knee brooch he claimed to have found was discredited by the British Museum.
The crucial blow came in February 2024, when the Leasingham Horse Brooch was tested by Historic England. The tests confirmed it did not pre-date the 16th Century. Following a police search of his home in May 2023, where a copy of the brooch was found, Price eventually confessed. He admitted buying the item online and then 'getting carried away with the story'.
Further analysis revealed a pattern of fraud:
- A horse figurine and axe from Long Bennington had zinc levels too high to be ancient.
- A purported Roman gold ring contained modern alloy levels.
- A hoard of Roman coins submitted in August 2023 was found by the British Museum to have 'not been buried in antiquity'.
Impact and Sentencing
In an impact statement, Dr Lisa Brundle, Lincolnshire County Council's Finds Liaison Officer, described the 'betrayal'. She said it had shaken her confidence in finds' authenticity and diverted over 150 hours of time and resources from genuine archaeology. The court heard Price appeared motivated by a desire for the council to excavate the Long Bennington site.
Price pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud by false representation for claims made between September 2019 and August 2023. At Lincoln Crown Court, Recorder Nicholas Bacon KC noted the initial significance of the fake find, stating there were 'very few recorded parallels' in the country.
Mitigating, Damian Sabino said Price, a Royal Navy veteran and local business owner, wished to apologise and had repaid the £5,000. He argued an immediate jail term would be 'the final nail in the coffin' for Price's business.
Price was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. He must also complete ten rehabilitation days, 150 hours of unpaid work, pay £1,000 in court costs and £3,250 compensation to Lincolnshire County Council. Recorder Bacon said it was a 'very serious matter' but believed Price was suitable for rehabilitation.
