\n<\/p>\n
LONDON (AP) \u2014 They didn’t look after this bear.<\/p>\n
In fact, two men who had been drinking kicked and yanked on a statue of Paddington, the fictional orphaned bear who came to England from Peru, until it broke in half. Then they took it.<\/p>\n
A judge on Tuesday chastised the duo \u2014 both military personnel \u2014 for being the \u201cantithesis\u201d of everything Paddington\u2019s character stands for.<\/p>\n
Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22 and engineers in the Royal Air Force, admitted in Reading Magistrates\u2019 Court that they were responsible for the March 2 vandalism in Newbury, the hometown of Paddington creator Michael Bond.<\/p>\n
\u201cPaddington Bear is a beloved cultural icon with children and adults alike,\u201d Judge Sam Goozee said. \u201cHe represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration and acceptance in our society. … Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statue of the bear in his signature blue coat and red hat was one of 23 installed last fall as part of a Paddington trail across England to mark the release of \u201cPaddington in Peru.\u201d<\/a> The introspective bear is gazing skyward while clutching a sandwich \u2014 with marmalade about to drip on his lap.<\/p>\n The judge noted that the label on Paddington\u2019s coat says, \u201cPlease look after this bear.\u201d<\/p>\n Prosecutor said Jamie Renuka said the men were drunk during the escapade that was captured by a surveillance camera on the empty street just before 2 a.m. The two spirited away half of the statue in a taxi and returned to RAF Odiham base where the purloined Paddington was later found in Lawrence\u2019s car.<\/p>\n Goozee said the crime could \u201conly be described as an act of wanton vandalism\u201d and that the two had failed to uphold the respect and integrity expected in the military.<\/p>\n The pair, who admitted criminal damage, were ordered to perform community work and each to pay 2,725 pounds ($3,527) for repairs to the damaged statue.<\/p>\n An RAF spokesperson said the service would consider the court’s findings but that any discipline would not be disclosed because it would be a private matter.<\/p>\n The statue is currently being repaired and will be reinstalled, the Newbury Business Improvement District said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n