Man jailed for 13 months for Banksy print gallery burglary

A man has been sentenced to 13 months in prison after admitting stealing a Banksy print from a gallery in central London.

Larry Fraser, 48, stole the limited edition signed print of Girl with Balloon from Grove Gallery on New Cavendish Street on 8 September to pay off a historic drug debt.

The artwork had been part of an exhibition showcasing a £1.5 million collection of 13 Banksy pieces at the gallery.

At Kingston Crown Court, judge Anne Brown told Fraser: “This is a brazen and serious non-domestic burglary.”

Fraser was caught on CCTV waiting outside the gallery for about 10 minutes on 8 September last year, before repeatedly smashing the glass door with a heavy blunt object.

When he got into the building at about 23:00 BST, he went straight to the numbered picture and was seen on security cameras a short time later, carrying the print across a road.

The value of the print, which was returned without damage, was approximately £270,000, the court heard.

Fraser, of Beckton, east London, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and may be eligible for immediate release due to time spent on electronic curfew.