Man who stole Banksy print from London gallery could face jail, court hears

A man who stole a £270,000 Banksy print from a central London gallery could be jailed for the offence, a court has heard.

Larry Fraser, 48, stole the limited edition print belonging to the street artist’s Girl With Balloon series after breaking into the Grove Gallery on September 8 last year.

The artwork had been part of an exhibition showcasing a £1.5 million collection of 13 Banksy pieces at the gallery, and was quickly recovered by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad.

Kingston Crown Court previously heard the defendant, of Beckton, east London, had pleaded guilty to burglary.

A second man, 54-year-old James Love, was cleared of stealing the print following a trial, after he was accused of being the getaway driver in the burglary.

Judge Anne Brown told a hearing at the same court on Thursday that there was a “deterrent aspect” applicable to Fraser’s case, so she would be “leaving all options, including imprisonment, available to the court” for his sentencing.

Prosecutor Philip Stott said they were working off a basis of plea that the defendant would have been aware the print “was of value” when stealing it, but did not know just how valuable it was.

Jeffrey Israel, defending, said Fraser’s sentence should be no higher than a community order as it was of “low culpability”.

Fraser, who remains on conditional bail, did not attend the hearing.

The defendant will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on November 14.