Joseph Jennings leaves Birmingham Magistrates' Court, Birmingham, after pleading guilty to the theft of items from his late father Peter's stamp collection. Photo: Press AssociationA Birmingham man who is the son of a nationally-renowned philatelist who died last year has admitted stealing his late father's collection of rare and valuable stamps.
Joseph Jennings was committed to Crown Court for sentence after magistrates heard how he sold off stamps at a knock-down price to fund a gambling habit.
The 29-year-old is the son of journalist and stamp expert Peter Jennings, who died in September last year after a long-standing illness.
Prosecutor Angela Hallam told the city's magistrates' court that the 65-year-old's widow was the sole beneficiary of his estate and had inherited his entire stamp collection.
But, the court heard, items were taken "piecemeal" from an office at the philatelist's home between November last year and January this year, and sold off to legitimate dealers for around £13,000.
Ms Hallam told magistrates: "The collection was not very well inventoried but it was of not only sentimental value but of great financial value.
"It's the Crown's case that the value is substantially above the value that the dealers paid."
The theft was uncovered in mid-January after Mrs Jennings - whose husband also worked as a press secretary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham - was unable to locate items to have part of the collection assessed by a specialist.
Police then arrested Jennings, who initially denied any involvement in the theft but later admitted he had taken the collection and sold it on.
Jennings, of Bantock Way, Harborne, was committed to Birmingham Crown Court after magistrates decided their powers of punishment were insufficient. He was granted bail and will be sentenced on August 5.