A 20-year-old man accused of stealing streetlamps and lanterns across the UK worth £1 million has made his first court appearance.
John O'Sullivan appeared before Stevenage Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where it was alleged he stole lamps across several counties, including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Thames Valley, Essex, and Hertfordshire, between January 2025 and June 2025.
Additional charges
He faces seven additional counts of theft in Hertfordshire between September 2025 and March of this year.
O'Sullivan, of Barkway, Cambridgeshire, stood in the dock dressed in a green t-shirt and black trousers, speaking only to confirm his name, address, and date of birth. He gave no indication of plea.
Case sent to crown court
District Judge Alan Thorn told the defendant the allegations were “too serious for me to deal with here” and sent the case to St Albans Crown Court for a hearing on September 2.
O'Sullivan was accompanied to court by his parents, Anna O'Sullivan, 66, and Richard O'Sullivan, 67, who prosecutor Micha O'Neill said are accused alongside their son. They were charged with handling stolen goods and are due to attend their first court hearing at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on August 12, Hertfordshire Police previously said.
O'Sullivan was released on conditional bail, with the condition that he does not “touch or interact in any way with a streetlight equipment or lamp unless given permission by the owner”.
