A man has been sentenced to prison for a brazen burglary at a prestigious London art gallery, where he stole a limited edition Banksy print valued at a staggering £270,000.
The Brazen Burglary
Larry Fraser, 49, from Beckton in east London, repeatedly smashed the glass door of the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia last September before entering the premises and making off with the valuable artwork. The court heard that Fraser had waited outside the gallery for approximately ten minutes before forcing entry around 11pm, heading directly for the signed and numbered print.
Prosecutor Philip Stott detailed how the defendant was taken to a location in London Docklands where the artwork was hidden. Fortunately, the print was recovered on September 12, just days after the theft, following a tip-off from a third party to the police.
Sentencing and Mitigation
At Kingston Crown Court, Judge Anne Brown described the offence as a ‘brazen and serious non-domestic burglary’ and handed Fraser a 13-month prison sentence. She stated that while Fraser may not have known the precise value of the print, he ‘obviously understood it to be very valuable.’
Fraser, who pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, claimed he committed the crime to pay off a historic drug debt, acting ‘under a degree of pressure and fear.’ He also stated he was unaware of the burglary's target until the day of the offence. The court was told Fraser had 18 previous convictions but had been ‘out of trouble’ since his release from prison in 2008.
In defence, Jeffrey Israel said Fraser was the principal carer for his mother and had worked hard to break his cycle of drug addiction. He also remarked that the notoriety of the theft had likely increased the print's value.
Swift Police Response and Recovery
The stolen artwork was part of an exhibition featuring 13 Banksy pieces worth a total of £1.5 million. Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad acted swiftly to recover the print. Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather praised the ‘tireless work’ of his team, noting that it took ‘just four days for normality to be restored.’
Grove Gallery manager, Lindor Mehmetaj, 29, expressed his profound relief and shock when the Flying Squad returned the recovered artwork, describing the officers as ‘pragmatic, logical, very composed and ultimately professional.’ He said the weight lifted from his shoulders was hard to put into words.
A second man, James Love, 54, was previously accused of involvement in the theft but was cleared of burglary following a trial.
