The senior partner of a London law firm has been jailed for four years after stealing a painting from an elderly client.
Anthony Blok, who qualified as a solicitor in 1960, had been trying to sell the painting on behalf of his client for some years, before eventually just nicking it for himself. Police investigated him, but he managed to shake them off by lying about the identity of his client.
Things finally unravelled when Blok's office was raided in 2006. It transpired that Blok had approached several galleries in an attempt to sell the painting and had tried to remove it from the Arts Lost Register. Police found £30,000 in cash but the painting has yet to be recovered.
Last week Blok was convicted in Croydon Crown Court of money laundering, perjury and perverting the course of justice. A spokesman for the police said that the sentence demonstrated that "we will not tolerate anyone who is breaking the law, no matter what their age or profession".
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Anthony Blok, who qualified as a solicitor in 1960, had been trying to sell the painting on behalf of his client for some years, before eventually just nicking it for himself. Police investigated him, but he managed to shake them off by lying about the identity of his client.
Things finally unravelled when Blok's office was raided in 2006. It transpired that Blok had approached several galleries in an attempt to sell the painting and had tried to remove it from the Arts Lost Register. Police found £30,000 in cash but the painting has yet to be recovered.
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Last week Blok was convicted in Croydon Crown Court of money laundering, perjury and perverting the course of justice. A spokesman for the police said that the sentence demonstrated that "we will not tolerate anyone who is breaking the law, no matter what their age or profession".