Man cleared over Banksy print raid at London gallery

A builder has been cleared of burglary after a Banksy print valued at £270,000 was snatched from a central London gallery in a daytime raid.

James Love, 54, of North Stifford in Essex, was accused of working with Larry Fraser, who pleaded guilty to burglary ahead of Mr Love’s trial.

Fraser, 48, was captured on CCTV smashing the glass front door of the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia on the morning of 8 September last year and – in the space of 36 seconds – taking a limited-edition work from the street artist’s Girl With Balloon series.

Mr Love was accused of being the getaway driver but said he had been used by Fraser. The 54-year-old was cleared of burglary at Kingston Crown Court on Friday.

Jurors heard that Mr Love drove to the gallery on the morning of the burglary, was in regular contact with Fraser that day and helped to stash the print after it was stolen.

The court was shown CCTV of the defendant helping Fraser into a van with the artwork.

But giving evidence last week, Mr Love told jurors this was the first time he realised what Fraser had done.

The defendant told the court he was furious and later left the artwork at a block of flats in the Isle of Dogs, where police eventually found it with the help of a map and instructions given to them by Mr Love at his first court appearance.

He said he had known Fraser for about 20 years and would occasionally hire him for labouring jobs.

Fraser is due to appear at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, when a date for his sentencing is expected to be fixed.

The print he snatched had been part of an exhibition showcasing a £1.5m collection of 13 Banksy pieces at the Grove Gallery.