Metal detector who stole £3m Viking hoard before going on the run admits stabbing friend after row over stolen gold

A metal detectorist who went on the run after stealing a Viking treasure worth £3 million has admitted stabbing his friend after an argument over the stolen gold.

George Powell had been evading police for nine months when he attacked Lewis Prosser at a caravan site in Paignton, Devon, in October 2025.

The attack left Mr Prosser with a brain haemorrhage, a broken jaw and ankle, and he now has ‘four or five’ seizures a day, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Powell, from Newport in South Wales, was today jailed for 20 months for the stabbing.

The 45-year-old and his fellow detectorist Layton Davies did not state that they had unearthed 300 Viking coins and other jewelry in 2015. The hoard of ancient valuables was one of the largest finds in the history of Britain.

Instead of reporting the stash, the duo tried to cash in on their loot by selling the old items on the black market.

In 2019, Powell was jailed for 10 years for his part in the theft, but in January 2025 he was released on license and was due to be convicted of a separate charge of failing to pay his share of the value of the Herefordshire treasure.

After failing to show up for sentencing in Birmingham, he went on the run.

George Powell (pictured in 2019) has been jailed for 20 months after stabbing Lewis Prosser at a caravan site in Paignton, Devon, in October 2025.

Historians believe the coins were of Anglo-Saxon origin and were hidden by a Viking

Powell eventually ended up at a caravan site with Mr Prosser in October last year.

The pair had been drinking before arguing in the early hours of October 18 after Mr Prosser accused Powell of stealing gold and jewelery from him.

Michael Brown, for the prosecution, told the court that Mr Prosser woke up to see Powell ‘hitting him repeatedly with a knife and a baton’.

Mr Prosser fled to get help from another caravan and emergency services were called to the scene. He was then rushed to hospital, where he remained for ten days.

The court heard how jewelery and gold were later found elsewhere at the site, but police said it was not linked to the hoard.

Powell later appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court on October 23 last year, where he was jailed for five years and three months for failing to repay the money.

In a victim impact statement read to the court and seen by the BBC, Mr Prosser said his injuries were devastating.

“I have four or five seizures a day and I have made several attempts to take my own life,” he said.

‘I have been admitted to a psychiatric ward and am dependent on the care of my family.’

In 2019, Powell was given a 10-year prison sentence for his part in the theft, but in January 2025 he was released over the theft and should have been convicted of a separate charge when he went on the run.

In the photo: part of the recovered treasure. More than 230 coins have still not been found

Powell claimed he acted in self-defense and that he responded positively during his time in prison.

Judge Stephen Climie sentenced Powell to 20 months in prison, which will be added to his current sentence.

He was also given a restraining order preventing him from contacting Mr Prosser for 10 years.

“This was a brutal attack on someone you knew,” the judge said.

“Whatever the nature and cause of the disagreement, it does not result in any finding of self-defense.”

Powell and Davies unearthed the treasure about ten years ago near farmland in Eye, near Leominster, Herefordshire.

It included a ninth-century gold ring, a dragon’s head bracelet, a silver bar, a fifth crystal rock pendant and up to 300 coins, some from the reign of King Alfred.

By law, the men should have reported the discovery, but instead decided to sell the items in small batches to various customers on the black market.

Pictured: Powell (left) with fellow detectorist Layton Davies (right). Instead of reporting the ancient valuables when they found them, the duo tried to cash in on their loot by selling the old items on the black market.

Powell also handed over only three found coins to the land’s owner that were “not particularly valuable.”

More than 230 coins have still not been found.

Historians believe the coins were of Anglo-Saxon origin and were hidden by a Viking.

One of these was a double-headed coin, depicting two rulers of England: Alfred the Great, who ruled Wessex, and Ceolwulf II of Mercia.

Experts said this showed that there was an alliance between the kings that did not exist before, changing our knowledge of the unification of England.

The treasure will be on permanent display at the Hereford Museum, which raised £776,250 to buy it.