"was seen on CCTV waiting outside the gallery for about 10 minutes on September 8 last year, before repeatedly smashing the glass door with a heavy blunt object, Philip Stott, prosecuting, told the court. He said when Fraser gained access to the building, at about 11pm, he went straight to the artwork, which was a signed and numbered print. Mr Stott said: The defendant was taken to a location in London Docklands and the artwork was secreted inside a building there."
"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 heard Fraser, who pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, may be eligible for immediate release due to time spent on electronic curfew. Sentencing him on Friday, Judge Anne Brown said: This is a brazen and serious non-domestic burglary."
Larry Fraser, 49, broke into the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia, central London, in September 2024 and stole a signed, numbered Banksy print from the Girl With Balloon series. The print was part of a 1.5 million collection of 13 Banksy pieces and was secreted in a London Docklands building before Metropolitan Police Flying Squad officers recovered it undamaged on 12 September. Fraser pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and received a 13-month jail sentence, though he may be eligible for immediate release due to time spent on electronic curfew. Fraser said he owed money from a historic drug debt and agreed to commit the offence under pressure; a second man accused as the getaway driver was cleared at trial.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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