An orthodox Christian who was so ‘besotted’ by religious artifacts that he was driven to steal a valuable icon from Chester Cathedral and bizarrely left a cheap Christmas tree decoration in its place has landed himself behind bars.
Bungling thief Vasilijs Apilats has been jailed for nine months for pinching the 19th century artwork which depicts the Raising of Lazarus and has a retail value of £2,000 from the cathedral’s Chapel of St Anselm in August 2014.
The 61-year-old – who was forced to flee his native Latvia due to problems with the Russian Mafia – insisted he bought the icon in good faith for £135 by staff who were offering it for sale, but a jury rejected his version of events and found him guilty after a week-long trial in November last year.
The judge sentencing Apilats called his crime ‘so serious’ that only a prison sentence was appropriate during a hearing at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday (January 31).
Staff at the cathedral immediately notified police when they realised the icon had vanished and been swapped with an angel ornament.
Apilats’ DNA was found on the easel on which it had been screwed for display, and a search of his home on Edleston Road in Crewe revealed it was rammed with a treasure trove of religious artworks, including the Raising of Lazarus icon inside a bin bag.
Vice-Dean of Chester Cathedral Peter Howell-Jones spoke of the impact the theft of the ‘hugely important’ painting has had on the cathedral’s community in a victim personal statement which was read aloud to the court.
“He stole a piece of history from us,” he said.
“It could not have been replaced and would have upset members of the church greatly.
“I take the view that this person has committed a crime and sanctions must be imposed.”
But in a fit of remorse, Apilats penned a ‘gushing’ letter of apology to the Vice-Dean, his staff and the general public.
In it, he wrote of how he was ‘sincerely and very deeply’ sorry for ‘all the troubles, worries and problems’ he has caused.
He offered to restore the icon and apologised three times in the course of the brief note, of which his defence barrister Peter Moss said it was ‘unusual to see such gushing offers of remorse’.
Mr Moss revealed that his client has a history of anxiety and depression, and suffers from post-traumatic stress as a result of ‘traumatic experience at the hands of the Russian Mafia’.
“There is a certain irrationality about how this has all played out,” said Mr Moss.
“When police raided his home they found a vast array of religious icons – we are dealing with a man who appears to be besotted with that type of material.”
Echoing Mr Moss’ sentiments, Recorder Eric Lamb agreed that Apilats’ behaviour was ‘more akin to the instincts of a magpie rather than some sort of commercial enterprise’.
Recorder Lamb concluded that only a custodial sentence was justified but took into consideration Apilats’ age, poor health and lack of previous relevant convictions.
Speaking after the hearing, Fiona McKervey of Mersey-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service branded his explanation of what happened as ‘incredible’ and ‘dishonourable’
She said: “Many people value the opportunity to pray in sacred places where there are visual reminders of their faith.
“A theft such as this threatens those opportunities. We may never know why Apilats stole the artefact – whether it was greed or curiosity. Either way, it was theft and he’s now behind bars.”
No other prosecutions have arisen in relation to the other icons found at Apilats’ home.
