A man who claimed to be selling Queen Elizabeth II's walking stick is sentenced for fraud

LONDON (AP) — A 26-year-old man who tried to sell what he claimed was a walking stick used by the late Queen Elizabeth II has been sentenced for defrauding eBay buyers.

Dru Marshall, from Hampshire in southern England, claimed he was a senior footman at Windsor Castle and that the proceeds from the sale of the “antler walking stick” would go to cancer research. The auction had reached 540 pounds ($686) before he cancelled the listing after learning police had launched an investigation, prosecutors said.

He was found guilty of fraud by false representation at Southampton Magistrates’ Court and sentenced on Monday to a 12-month community order.

“Dru Marshall used the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to try and hoodwink the public with a fake charity auction – fueled by greed and a desire for attention,’’ Julie Macey, a senior crown prosecutor, said. “Marshall’s scheme was ultimately foiled before he could successfully con any unsuspecting victims.’’

FILE - Queen Elizabeth II stands on the balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant at the Buckingham Palace in London, Sunday, June 5, 2022, on the last of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. A 26-year-old man has been sentenced on Monday Jan. 8, 2024 for defrauding eBay buyers by trying to sell what he claimed was a walking stick used by the late Queen Elizabeth II as she struggled with mobility in old age. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool, File)

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