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In a surprising twist, a builder accused of stealing a Banksy print has revealed to the court his intention of adding it to his collection of artwork featuring love hearts. The stolen piece, Girl with Balloon, valued at £270,000, was taken from the Grove Gallery in central London back in September of last year. James Love, aged 54, admitted to hiding the artwork after another man had broken into the gallery, expressing his desire to have the Banksy “on his walls.”
During the trial at Kingston Crown Court, it was disclosed that the other man involved, 48-year-old Larry Fraser, had already pleaded guilty to burglary. Described as a “relatively successful builder,” Mr. Love transferred £200 to Fraser on the day of the offense, contrasted with Fraser’s financial struggles as he reportedly had only £1.75 in his bank account before the theft. The duo’s mobile phones were traced in the vicinity of the gallery on the fateful evening, with Fraser making a call to Mr. Love shortly after forcibly entering the gallery to take the painting.
Following the theft, Fraser took the Banksy print to a nearby property where he left it and changed his attire, before later collecting it with Mr. Love. The stolen artwork, consistent with Mr. Love’s existing collection of pieces featuring love hearts, was then allegedly unloaded at a block of flats in the Isle of Dogs. Presenting a defense, Mr. Stott mentioned the multiple love heart-themed pieces already adorning Mr. Love’s walls, indicating a potential scheme to return the Banksy to its rightful place once the situation had cooled down. Mr. Love, from North Stifford, Grays, Essex, continues to deny the charges of burglary as the trial progresses
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