A builder accused of stealing a Banksy print needed so as to add it to his private assortment of affection coronary heart artworks, a court docket has heard.
James Love, 54, is accused of working with an confederate to steal the £270,000 ‘Woman with the Balloon’ piece from a gallery in Fitzrovia, London, in September final 12 months.
Love hid the work after one other man had smashed by the door of a gallery, jurors have been informed.
He already owned quite a few love heart-based footage and needed the Banksy ‘on his partitions’, the court docket heard.
The limited-edition print, a part of a £1.5million assortment displayed on the Grove Gallery, was rapidly recovered by Met Police Flying Squad officers.
‘Provided that it was Mr Love who had a number of items of artwork based mostly on love hearts already on his partitions, it was probably stolen with a view to it will definitely, when the warmth had died down, ending up in the identical place,’ prosecution barrister Philip Stott informed Kingston Crown Courtroom on Monday.
Prosecutors say Love, a ‘comparatively profitable builder’, drove one other man, Larry Fraser, to the gallery, on September 8, 2024.
Fraser, 48, is claimed to have stolen the dear paintings at 11pm the identical day, earlier than stashing it within the hallway of a close-by property.
Fraser has already pleaded responsible to housebreaking, jurors at Kingston Crown Courtroom heard on Monday, September 15.
Barrister Philip Stott mentioned Fraser was ‘impoverished’ and solely had £1.75 in his checking account the day earlier than the theft.
Mr Love had transferred £200 to Fraser on the day of the offence, Mr Stott mentioned.
Earlier than that day, Love had solely paid Fraser small quantities – usually £20 round twenty instances the earlier 12 months, jurors heard.
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Fraser referred to as Love simply minutes after smashing the gallery doorways and taking the portray, the court docket heard.
After leaving the gallery, Fraser took the Banksy into a close-by property the place he left the paintings and adjusted his prime, the trial heard.
An evening watchman was ‘startled’ to discover a ‘giant portray’ by the doorway, the court docket heard.
He had ‘no thought the way it had bought there as a result of it hadn’t been there when he walked previous the identical spot earlier that night’, Mr Stott mentioned.
The duo pushed previous the night time watchman, picked up the portray, and left, the barrister added.
The 2 males walked away with the Banksy, hiding it a second time, earlier than retrieving the piece and placing it at the back of Love’s van, jurors heard.
They drove to a block of flats within the Isle of Canine the place Love unloaded the Banksy, the court docket was informed.
Love was arrested at his residence on September 10 and later informed investigating officers the place to seek out the Banksy, producing a hand-drawn plan, jurors heard.
Police went to the Isle of Canine tackle and located the paintings inside a floor flooring cabinet below a mud sheet.
Love, of North Stifford, denies housebreaking. The trial continues.
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