Man on trial for ‘trying to steal Magna Carta’

LONDON: : A man appeared in an English court on Monday charged with attempting to steal a priceless original 1215 version of the Magna Carta. Mark Royden, 47, is accused of trying to smash the protective glass case with a hammer in a bid to steal the document from Salisbury Cathedral in southwest England.

Royden claimed his actions on October 25, 2018 were apparently motivated by doubts about the manuscript´s authenticity, Salisbury Crown Court was told. The charter has defined rights and liberties around the world.

Four original copies from 1215 remain in existence: two in the British Library in London, one at Salisbury Cathedral, and one at Lincoln Cathedral, in eastern England.

Royden "set out on that day to steal the Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral and his attempt failed and it failed for two reasons," prosecutor Rob Welling told the court.