Raymond Scott 52, of Wingate, County Durham, arrived at Durham Crown Court to face eight charges including the theft of a Shakespeare first folio valued at over $20 million, in a horse-drawn carriage. The eccentric antique book dealer was also wearing a Highland tartan and a pair of designer limited edition Fendi sunglasses, as he drank Drambuie from a bottle and maintained his innocence.
Scott stands accused of stealing a Shakespeare first folio printed in 1623 from the Durham University Library in December 1998. When Scott presented the folio to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., staff notified authorities and he was arrested and charged. Scott asserts that he discovered the find while in Cuba visiting his fiancée, and believes he will be exonerated.
Pending a trial date to be scheduled for next month, Scott was released on bail.