Accused is cleared over Church Stretton stolen ring case
An elderly woman whose mother's "priceless" wedding ring had been stolen by her gardener was visited by a man offering to sell it back, a court heard.
George William Fowler Kerswell denied receiving stolen goods.
Magistrates in Telford found him not guilty, after accepting that he had not been aware the ring had been stolen from the woman in Church Stretton when he bought it and that he had immediately tried to return it when he learned of its origins.
Mr John Dove, prosecuting, said the victim had initially thought she had misplaced items of jewellery. He described the missing jewellery as "priceless" to the victim.
However, on May 24 she reported to police that she had been burgled after realising that a box in her house had been tampered with.
The court was told that she had given a key to her gardener, who she had known for four years, to look after the garden while she was away for a few weeks.
Mr Kerswell, of Picklescott, Church Stretton, told the court that he had bought the gold ring inset with rubies for £45 from the gardener while at a party but had not been aware that it had been stolen.
He said that after receiving a late night call from the family of the gardener telling him that the ring had been stolen he went around to the victim's house the following day to return it.
The door was answered by a friend of the victim who kept Kerswell talking while she called the police. The defendant accepted that he had asked for £45 for the ring but only because he wanted his money back and had been prepared to give it back for free.
Miss Kate Scully, for Kerswell, said: "His actions in bringing it back clearly are not the actions of a dishonest person."
