Anglo-Saxon treasure theft turns into crime saga of escape and betrayal

According to a new article, BBC features that a treasure hunt gone wrong has turned into a gripping tale of crime and escape. 

Detectives hunting for George Powell, a metal-detectorist-turned-convict, received an unexpected tip from an unlikely source: Powell himself. The wanted man made a comment on a Facebook post appealing for information, stating that he was "hungover" in the photo used by police.

"There were a lot of comments supporting George, saying he didn't do anything wrong [and that] he shouldn't have been in prison," said local reporter Holly Morgan. However, Morgan was unaware that Powell, alongside his friend Layton Davies, had been convicted of stealing one of the most significant treasure finds in British history, worth £3 million.

The discovery dates back over a thousand years to early medieval Britain. Gold jewelry, silver ingots, and hundreds of coins were buried by an unknown individual, likely a member of a retreating Viking army. The treasure remained lost until June 2015, when Powell and Davies began scanning a field near Leominster, Herefordshire. Upon uncovering the treasure, the duo believed it would make them rich. However, they were in for a different outcome.

Without permission from the landowner, Powell and Davies failed to report the find to the authorities within the legal 14-day window. Instead, they took the treasure back to Wales and shared photos on a detectorists' forum. Although they deleted the images, police tracking software preserved the evidence.

Powell later contacted a coin dealer to learn more about the haul, and upon viewing the coins, the dealer was astounded by their pristine condition. Powell and Davies continued to lie about their discovery, eventually handing over some of the jewelry but keeping the majority of the coins hidden.

In 2019, Powell and Davies were convicted of theft and concealing their find. Powell was sentenced to 10 years, reduced to six-and-a-half on appeal, and Davies received eight-and-a-half years, later reduced to five. The two were ordered to repay £600,000 each, but Powell went on the run again after an enforcement hearing in 2024.

After the notorious Facebook post, Powell was briefly arrested in Edinburgh but fled before his January 2025 court appearance. As of now, Powell remains on the run.

By Naila Huseynova