Even though it looks to be outrageous that he only received a suspended sentence, It might actually help the metal detecting community. If the archie only received a slap on the wrist for deliberate theft, how can they give a more severe sentence to someone accidentally digging in a sensitive or historic area?
cudamark, you are right to a certain extent. Over here however we don't the same playing field that those in the UK have, and that's unfortunate. This Daily Mail article is one every detectorist should copy and save somewhere. It shows the opponent is no better than we are....