A 61-year-old prolific thief has been jailed for almost two years after stealing an orangutan statue worth £799 from a garden centre in Cambridgeshire.
Derek Lundgren, who lived in Sawston, was captured on CCTV taking the ornament from Scotsdales Garden Centre in Horningsea on September 7.
Footage showed Lundgren carrying the statue by its head as he approached the exit.
He then forced open the automatic doors, left the premises without paying and headed towards his bicycle.
He placed the large ornament across the handlebars before cycling away from the garden centre.
Lundgren Sentenced After Admitting Theft
Lundgren was subsequently arrested and pleaded guilty to theft from a shop.
He also admitted breaching three suspended sentences previously imposed by the courts.
He appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where he was sentenced to one year and 11 months in prison.
PC Denzel Boachie of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, who investigated the theft, said Lundgren had continued committing offences despite receiving previous opportunities from the courts.
He said: “Lundgren is a prolific thief who has continued to offend despite being given previous opportunities by the courts.”
He added: “His repeated offending has now caught up with him and he will spend time behind bars.”
Police confirmed that the stolen orangutan statue has not been recovered.
Its whereabouts remain unknown.
Case Follows Theft of £399 Gorilla Statue in Darlington
The incident bears similarities to a separate case involving two men who stole a large gorilla statue from an indoor market in Darlington.
Brian Rumley, 50, and Michael O’Brien, 52, were caught on CCTV carrying the £399 ornament through the town centre towards a nearby flat in March 2025.
Footage showed the pair struggling to transport the statue while passing cans of beer between themselves.
The two men were arrested just three minutes after the theft when police arrived at the property where they had taken the ornament.
Both subsequently admitted burglary in connection with the incident.
Rumley was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, while O’Brien received a three-month suspended prison sentence lasting one year.
