"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."
"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."
James Love, 54, of North Stifford in Essex, was cleared of burglary after a Banksy print valued at 270,000 was taken from the Grove Gallery in Fitzrovia during a daytime raid on 8 September. Larry Fraser, 48, pleaded guilty to burglary and was caught on CCTV smashing the gallery's glass front door and removing a limited-edition Girl With Balloon print in 36 seconds. Jurors heard Love drove to the gallery, was in regular contact with Fraser that day and helped stash the print; CCTV showed him assisting Fraser into a van. Love said he only realised what Fraser had done when giving evidence, later left the artwork at flats in the Isle of Dogs, and provided police with a map and instructions that led to its recovery. Fraser is due to appear at Kingston Crown Court for sentencing. The stolen print was part of a 13-piece Banksy exhibition valued at 1.5m.
Read at www.bbc.com
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