Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire thief avoids jail!
By Callum Gunn
Rudolf Schonegger, who stole a rare and valuable copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was let off with a suspended jail sentence.
Who would have thought a book could be so valuable? Hot off the back of a woman getting three first edition Harry Potter novels for just £3 (despite them potentially being worth much more), the book thief, Rudolf Schonegger, has managed to get off with a fine and a suspended jail sentence for stealing a valuable version of the fourth book.
The version of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was worth £1,675 because it was signed by J.K. Rowling. He switched the book out for a book worth very little when a Htchards in Piccadilly shop assistant had her back turned. CCTV caught him in the act.
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This signed version hasn’t been recovered yet, as it was sold onto a bookseller for £410.
To make matters worse, the book that Schonegger swapped the book for wasn’t even a Harry Potter novel! It was a cop of Angus Wilson’s “Late Call” and was mostly because of this that he was caught.
Schonegger was ordered by the court to pay £1,675 to Hatchards and then £410 to the bookseller who had bought the stolen book unintentionally. He was also sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, but that was suspended for 24 months. If he stays out of trouble for the next two years, he won’t have to go to jail.
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The prosecution views the job as targeted.
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This copy is so valuable because of the signature. J.K. Rowling doesn’t sign many copies of her novels.