A British magistrate who gave his wife a Rolex watch he found on a supermarket floor has been convicted of theft, the Times newspaper reported Friday. 67-year-old Geoffrey Rowlett, a magistrate of 30 years' standing, pocketed the watch and gave it to his wife for her 60th birthday, the court heard. He made no attempt to trace the real owner of the 3,200 pound (5,900 dollar) lady's watch, which had been accidentally dropped. The deceit came to light two years later when Rowlett took the watch to a jeweler for repair, where its serial number was checked against a list of Rolex watches reported lost or stolen. When questioned by police, Rowlett claimed he had bought the gold watch for 1,500 pounds in a bric-a-brac shop. However, he was unable to provide a receipt, or the name and location of the shop. Using records from his supermarket loyalty card, police were able to prove that he visited a store in Dorset, southwest England, within two hours of the watch's real owner on a certain day. Rowlett, who has been suspended as a magistrate, was convicted of theft at Southampton Magistrates Court and fined 600 pounds plus 400 pounds costs. He had denied the charge. The presiding judge told him: "The conviction is the real penalty for a man of your standing. It was an act of folly and an incredible story." The watch has been returned to its owner, a widow who had been given it by her late husband.
