Nighthawkers wrecked historic sites in hunt for Richard II buried treasure
Five nighthawker metal detectorists have been fined for pilfering bronze axe heads and old coins from Beeston Castle in Cheshire and the Grade II-listed Roche Abbey in Yorkshire
Clockwise: John Lorne, Gary Flanagan, Daniel Lloyd, Francis Ward, and Curtis Barlow (Image: Cheshire Constabulary)
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A gang of five metal detectorists have admitted illegally plundering ancient artefacts from protected historic sites during a series of night-time raids.
Known as nighthawking, the quintent unearthed and stole bronze axe heads and old coins from Beeston Castle, in Cheshire and the Grade II-listed Roche Abbey in Yorkshire while using metal detectors.
According to legend, Richard II is said to have buried royal treasure in the grounds of Beeston Castle, although none has ever been discovered, while Roche Abbey is home to the remains of a 12th Century monastery.
A criminal gang of five illegally unearthed ancient coins and other artefacts from Beeston Castle in Cheshire and the Grade II-listed Roche Abbey in Yorkshire using metal detectors
Nighthawking gang stole priceless Bronze Age artefacts from castle for the craic
The gang crept into Beeston Castle, Cheshire, and Roche Abbey in Yorkshire, before digging up ancient axes and coins from the ground
Updated
Clockwise: John Lorne, Gary Flanagan, Daniel Lloyd, Francis Ward, and Curtis Barlow. (Image: Cheshire Police)
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Five men have been convicted for stealing historical artefacts from Beeston Castle. FIVE men have been fined and banned from metal detecting after committing heritage crimes at Cheshire s Beeston Castle and Roche Abbey in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. All five men, from Tameside, appeared at Chester Magistrates Court for sentencing on Friday, May 7. They had each previously pleaded guilty to removing, without written consent, objects of archaeological/historical interest found by a metal detector in a protected place. They all appeared before District Judge Nicholas Sanders.
Curtis Barlow Curtis Barlow, 32, of The Quadrant, Droylsden, admitted taking coins and metal artefacts from Roche Abbey between December 13-15, 2019.
Two Topekans suffered suspected serious injuries in a two-vehicle crash in which a man was killed Saturday in southeast Kansas, the Kansas Highway Patrol said.
Gary Alan Flanagan, 74, and Brenda Flanagan, 60, both of Topeka, were taken to Coffey County Hospital in Burlington, according to a highway patrol crash log.
It identified the man who was fatally injured as Raymond McIntosh, 83, of Buffalo in Wilson County.
The crash occurred about 1:50 p.m. on US-75 highway, about 10 miles south of Yates Center in Woodson County, according to the crash log. Yates Center is about 84 miles south of Topeka.
McIntosh, who was driving an SUV westbound on 10th Road, stopped at a stop sign but failed to yield the right-of-way when he pulled onto US-75 and was struck by a car driven by Gary Flanagan, who was southbound on US-75, according to the crash log.