Builder cleared of stealing £270,000 Banksy print from central London gallery

A builder has been cleared of stealing a £270,000 Banksy print from a central London gallery.

James Love, 54, from North Stifford in Essex, had stood trial over the burglary of a limited-edition work belonging to the street artist’s Girl With Balloon series, which features a young girl reaching towards a red love heart-shaped balloon.

Prosecutors alleged he was working with 48-year-old Larry Fraser, who pleaded guilty to burglary ahead of Mr Love’s trial after he was captured on CCTV smashing the glass front door of the Grove Gallery at around 11pm on September 8 last year, stepping inside and snatching the print in just over 30 seconds.

A jury at Kingston Crown Court heard during the trial that Mr Love drove to the Fitzrovia-based gallery on the morning of the burglary, was in regular contact with Fraser that day and helped stash the print after it was stolen.

But the jurors found Mr Love not guilty of burglary in a verdict on Friday, according to the court.

Giving evidence last week, Mr Love denied being the getaway driver after the court was shown CCTV of him helping Fraser into a van with the artwork.

Mr Love told jurors this was the first time he realised what Fraser had done, and that he accused the burglar of using him.

He told the court he was furious, but later left the picture at a block of flats in the Isle of Dogs where police eventually found the artwork according to a map and instructions given to them by Mr Love at his first court appearance.

Mr Love said he had known Fraser for around 20 years and would occasionally hire him for labouring jobs.

Fraser is due to appear at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, when a date for his sentencing is expected to be fixed.

The print that he stole had been part of an exhibition showcasing a £1.5 million collection of 13 different Banksy pieces at the Grove Gallery, and was quickly recovered by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad.