Detectorist who ‘dug up Roman brooch’ actually bought it on eBay

A funeral director “deceived thousands” of people when he lied about digging up an 1,800-year-old Roman brooch.

Jason Price, an amateur metal detectorist, claimed he had unearthed the horse figurine in a field near Leasingham, Lincolnshire, in 2019 and was paid £5,000 so it could go on display in a museum.

But in reality, Price “chose to exploit Lincolnshire’s rich heritage” by planting the brooch, which he had bought online, said Will Mason, head of culture at Lincolnshire County Council.

Price, 54, of Purcell Close, Grantham, was sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison term at Lincoln Crown Court earlier, having admitted four charges of fraud by false representation.

Price, who had served in the Royal Navy, initially claimed he found the copper-alloy brooch under 8in (20cm) of soil during a charity event titled Detecting for Veterans.

The object, known as the Leasingham horse brooch, was seen as a significant find. It went on display at The Collection Museum, in Lincoln, and also featured on a Channel 4 TV programme called Great British History Hunters.

Doubts began to surface in February 2023, after Price submitted other “Roman” items to Dr Lisa Brundle, the finds liason officer at the council.

It led to the horse brooch being submitted to Historic England for tests, which confirmed it did not pre-date the 16th Century.

Lincolnshire Police said Price had actually bought it on eBay.

Mason said Price had “knowingly” deceived the specialists who initially authenticated the brooch.

“He also deceived the thousands of visitors who were understandably fascinated by the Leasingham horse brooch following its discovery,” he added.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the authorities began to suspect that some of the 188 items submitted by Price had been “seeded” – terminology used in the detectorist community for being planted in the soil.

Other items he claimed to have found included a Roman knee brooch, another horse figurine, an axe and a hoard of Roman coins.

When Brundle asked to visit the site where the coins were found, Price told her it was closed, the court heard.

Police carried out a search of his home in May last year and found a copy of a horse brooch.

During police interview, Price initially denied offending, but he later admitted buying the Leasingham Horse Brooch online and then getting carried away with the story.

The court heard he appeared to be motivated by a desire for the council to excavate a site at Long Bennington.

The four charges of fraud by false representation related to four claims submitted to the finds officer between September 2019 and August 2023.

In an impact statement, read out in court, Brundle described how the “betrayal” had shaken her confidence in the authenticity of finds and had diverted time and resources from genuine archaeology.

Damian Sabino, mitigating, said Price had repaid the £5,000 and argued he was a man of exemplary character who had “served his country” and ran a respected local business.

“Through me, he wishes to apologise to the community at large,” Sabino added. “He no longer has that involvement with that hobby.”

Passing sentence, Recorder Nicholas Bacon KC noted the find of the brooch was initially treated as significant.

“There were very few recorded parallels of this find in the entire country,” he said.

“It was a very serious matter” that justified a custodial sentence, but he believed Price was suitable for rehabilitation and unlikely to reoffend.

In addition to the jail term, which was suspended for two years, Price was also given 10 rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was told to pay £1,000 in court costs and £3,250 in compensation to the county council.

Mason said frauds of this sort were “rare” due to “rigorous examinations” carried out on objects.