RAF Engineers Sentenced for Vandalizing Paddington Bear Statue in Newbury

Two air force engineers were fined, ordered to perform community service, and face repair costs after damaging a culturally significant statue while intoxicated.

• Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22 and RAF engineers, vandalized and stole a Paddington Bear statue in Newbury, Berkshire, on March 2, 2025.
• The statue, valued at £15,000 and part of the Paddington Visits Trail, was broken in half during the incident and later recovered at their RAF base.
• The defendants pleaded guilty to criminal damage and were sentenced to a 12-month community order, 150 hours of unpaid work, and fined £2,725 each.
• District Judge Sam Goozee condemned their actions as 'wanton vandalism' and the 'antithesis of everything Paddington stands for,' citing the bear's symbolic values of kindness and tolerance.
• Efforts are underway to repair the statue, with costs estimated at £5,451, and the Newbury community has expressed both distress and hope for its restoration.

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