Art thief stole spray can sculpture in spree

Christopher Scott had 130 offences on his criminal record

A prolific thief who stole a £10,000 artwork from a city centre gallery during his latest spree has been jailed for almost three and a half years.

Christopher Scott, 44, walked into Clarendon Fine Art in Newcastle and swiped a spray can sculpture by French street artist Mr Brainwash from a pedestal, the city's crown court heard.

He also stole £4,000 worth of tools from a building site and was part of a gang who broke into a woman's home in Heworth.

Scott, who had 130 offences on his criminal record, admitted burglary and theft.

Scott broke a security tag off the spray can, which was valued at £9,950, and then walked out of the gallery while a female accomplice held the door open on 5 February 2024, prosecutor Jordan Parkinson said.

The sculpture was valued at £9,950

Two months later, on 9 April, Scott and two other men removed a kitchen window at a house in Heworth and went on a stealing spree, the court heard.

The woman who lived there had recently fitted CCTV after being broken into a few weeks earlier, with Scott and his accomplices caught on film, Ms Parkinson said.

Among the items stolen were a £500 laptop, £500 coin collection and bottles of alcohol, the court heard.

The following month, Scott, of no fixed abode but previously of The Chevron in Byker, stole £4,000 worth of power tools from a building site in Newcastle city centre.

One of the owners of the tools said he had been unable to work because of the theft and replacing items had cost him thousands of pounds, the court heard.

Scott, who had 58 theft and kindred offences on his record dating back to 1992, was jailed for 1,240 days.