Man Charged With Stealing Streetlamps and Lantern Worth £1m Appears In Court

Man Charged With Stealing Streetlamps and Lantern Worth £1m Appears In Court

A 20-year-old man accused of stealing streetlamps and lanterns across the UK worth £1 million has made his first appearance in court

It is alleged that John O’Sullivan stole lamps across several counties including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Essex and Hertfordshire between January 2025 and June 2025, Stevenage Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday.

He faces seven additional counts of theft in Hertfordshire between September 2025 and March of this year

Stevenage Magistrates' Court
IO’Sullivan appeared at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court (Joe Giddens/PA)

He gave no indication of plea.

Capeesh Restaurant

AD: Capeesh Restaurant

District Judge Alan Thorn told the defendant the allegations were “too serious for me to deal with here”, and sent the case to St Albans Crown Court for a hearing on September 2

O’Sullivan was accompanied to court by his parents Anna O’Sullivan, 66, and Richard O’Sullivan, 67, whom prosecutor Micha O’Neill said are accused alongside their son.

Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar

AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar

The force also said that lamps were allegedly stolen from multiple victims including councils, businesses, churches, schools and private owners. The thefts included Grade II listed 1950s street lamps, known as Richardson Candles, which were allegedly taken from Cambridge City centre, Hertfordshire Police said.

O’Sullivan was released on conditional bail, with the condition that he does not “touch or interact in any way with a streetlight equipment or lamp unless given permission by the owner”.

Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar

AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar

Spread the news

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *