Man jailed for stealing rare Harry Potter book
7th June 2011
A man who stole a rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has been jailed after admitting theft.
Kidlington man Kevin McGirr was jailed for six weeks at Banbury Magistrates Court yesterday (June 6th), as a result of the October 2010 incident, which occurred in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
Mr McGirr was alleged to have taken the book, worth over GBP 6,000, from a display at the Creative Art Gallery and kept it in his possession for over a month.
The book was found wrapped in a plastic bag outside a Boots store in Abingdon on November 14th.
Mr McGirr, who had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, changed his plea in court and was ordered to pay compensation of GBP 250, in addition to serving his jail term.
Only 500 first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in J. K. Rowling's bestselling series, were printed in 1997, with mint copies of the novel now fetching up to GBP 20,000 at auction.