John O’Sullivan charged in £1 m UK streetlamp theft case

John O’Sullivan, a 20‑year‑old from Barkway, Hertfordshire, has been charged with stealing streetlamps and lanterns worth about £1 million from councils, businesses, churches, schools and private owners across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Essex, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley between January and June 2025. The items included Grade II listed 1950s Richardson Candles taken from Cambridge city centre. He appeared at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on 5 August 2026, confirmed his identity but gave no plea. District Judge Alan Thorn said the allegations were “too serious for me to deal with here” and sent the case to St Albans Crown Court for a hearing on 2 September. His parents, Anna and Richard O’Sullivan, were also charged with handling stolen goods and are due to appear on 12 August. John was released on conditional bail prohibiting any interaction with street‑lighting equipment.