A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to thirteen months in prison for stealing a Banksy artwork from a gallery in London in 2024, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The man, identified as Larry Fraser, broke into the gallery on 8 September 2024 while wearing a mask and stole a paper version of Banksy’s ‘Girl with Balloon’. The artwork depicts a young girl in a dress reaching out towards a heart-shaped red balloon.
Fraser was arrested within 48 hours of the theft after CCTV footage showed him loading the artwork into a van near the gallery. Two days later, the piece was recovered intact.
In court, Fraser pleaded guilty. He admitted he stole the artwork to settle a drug debt. The signed print is estimated to be worth £270,000 (over €305,000).
‘Girl with Balloon’ first appeared as graffiti on a bridge in London in 2002. It is one of Banksy’s most iconic works. In a memorable incident during a 2018 auction, a copy of the artwork partially shredded itself using a device hidden in its frame.
