Shakespeare book trial
Raymond Scott, a 53-year-old antiques dealer, was discovered after taking the book to staff at the world-renowned Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC in 2008 and asking them to verify that it was genuine.
The First Folio, a collection of Shakespeare’s plays worth about €1.2 million, was taken from Durham University in northeast England in 1998 but Scott was cleared of stealing.
He was however found guilty of handling stolen goods and removing stolen property from the Britain.
Prosecutors alleged he was in debt due to his lavish lifestyle, which included driving a Ferrari and staying in luxury hotels around the world, and tried to sell the book in order to clear it.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Scott had told police he discovered the book, which has been badly damaged, in Cuba.
Scott was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing at a later date.
