Moment thief steals £270,000 Banksy print to pay off drug debt | News

The dramatic smashing and theft of a £270,000 print Banksy bought from a London gallery was captured on video.

Evelyn Larry Fraser, 49, of Denington Road, Beckton, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for theft.

The court heard Fraser put forward a basis of defense that he stated he owed money for a drug debt he was trying to pay off and agreed to commit the offense “under some duress and fear”.

He pleaded guilty to non-residential burglary in October and was sentenced to 13 months in prison on Friday, November 14.

CCTV showed the moment he stole a 2004 signed print of “Girl with Balloons” at the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia on Sunday, September 8, 2024.

Using a hammer, Fraser broke glass doors and hid his identity with a mask, gloves and hooded jacket.