Dru Marshall, 26, claims he was a senior footman at Windsor Castle and came into possession of a walking stick used by Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022. Marshall listed it on eBay and saw bids up to £540 (about $686) before it was taken down. Now he's been found guilty of fraud at the magistrate's court in Southampton, England, and sentenced to a year's community service.
"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,'' said senior crown prosecutor Julie Macey, quoted by the AP. "Marshall's scheme was ultimately foiled before he could successfully con any unsuspecting victims.''
As soon as I saw this story, I wanted the famous, valuable, fraudulent "ANTLER WALKING STICK" in question! But it doesn't even exist: the winner would have gotten nothing. The listing screenshot shows a stock photo of the Queen with a walking stick. You can't even see it, the way she's covering it with her hands. It could be her light saber.
Marshall ultimately said it was "just a joke that was a bad idea" and that "it was just a social experiment" and so on. In his defense, he did at least offer free delivery!
