A man has admitted handling stolen goods more than five years after rare books worth more than £65k were stolen from a Norfolk family business.

Steven Harley told police he bought a "box of dodgy books" in a pub in Thetford for £500 in 2018 and sold them on.

It came after a raid at Thetford-based SN Books, a second-hand online book retailers, in 2018 when rare and valuable books - including a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - were taken.

SN Books in ThetfordSN Books in Thetford (Image: Newsquest) Norwich Crown Court heard staff had been searching online auctions since the burglary and located some of the titles being sold online in 2023.

Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Norwich Crown Court) These included a hardcover first edition of The Hobbit from 1937 which Harley sold to a dealer for £6,500, who later sold it on for £13,500.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said Harley was identified as the seller of the books.

He was arrested and initially told police he had inherited the books following the death of his grandmother after cleaning out her property.

But he went on to tell police he had "bought a box of dodgy books" in a pub in Thetford before selling them on, through a rare book dealer online.

Mr Youell said Harley claimed not to know where the books came from and could not provide police with any details about the person who sold him the books.

The court heard Harley contacted various book dealers and sold the books on, gaining more than £13,000 for the ones he had sold.

Harley initially told police he did not know they were stolen, but later contacted officers to say the events had put a strain on his marriage and he now wanted to do the right thing.

He also offered another explanation, that he was asked to sell the books by someone he owed money to.

The 40-year-old, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, appeared in court on Wednesday when he admitted one count of handling stolen goods.

Harley, who was represented by Edmund Gritt, was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months by Recorder Michael Turner.

He was also made the subject of up to five days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR).