Man jailed for six months after £95k limited edition Banksy theft

Adil Hajjaj was jailed for six months after stealing a £95,000 piece of Banksy artwork

A man has been jailed for six months after stealing a £95,000 piece of Banksy artwork.

Belfast Recorder Judge Patricia Smyth told 50-year-old Adil Hajjaj that he will spend a further six months on supervised licence after his release from prison.

Hajjaj, of Sandymount Street in south Belfast, recently pleaded guilty to the theft of the limited edition Laugh Now print from Charles Gilmore Fine Art gallery on 2 April.

He also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods on the same date, namely a bottle of rum from Ross's Auctioneers.

The prosecution put forward a case that the incident involved a "high value theft of some £95,000 worth of a piece of art which is a limited edition of a Banksy print''.

At about 16:00 BST on 2 April, the deputy manager was alone in the art gallery, Belfast Crown Court heard.

A man entered the gallery and began asking "random questions'' about the authenticity of the artwork on display, she told police.

"He started to tower over me in an attempt to distract me and divert my attention, physically leaning over me and blocking my view while leaning over me,'' she told police.

A minute or so later, a second male came into the gallery through the front door. The deputy manager recognised Hajjaj from his previous visits to the gallery.

The woman said Hajjaj always arrived in the gallery shortly after the owner left.

She added that she heard "rustling and movement in the back of the gallery and he then left carrying the Primark bag which contained a painting''.

The other male continued asking her questions and he left about 60 seconds later.

The deputy manager then noticed the Banksy painting, which had been on an easel, was now missing.

It was later recovered by police from Hajjaj while he was walking along the nearby Ormeau Road in south Belfast with a co-accused.

Hajjaj made the case that he had "very strong connections to alcohol'', defence barrister Sean O'Hare said.

He said the theft was an attempt by him to get money for alcohol.

"He is originally from Morocco and is seeking asylum here. He lives off £40 per week, lives in accommodation approved and provided by the Home Office and he is not allowed to work because of his asylum application,'' Mr O'Hare said.

The barrister said Hajjaj "states that he was unaware of the value of the item".

"He had been in the gallery on a number of previous occasions as he does have an interest in art but he did not know the high stated value of the print," he said.

"There was no price on this particular piece of art. In the circles that he moves in there is absolutely no way he was going to obtain anywhere near close to its high value.''

Mr O'Hare said the theft lacked "sophistication'' as Hajjaj had walked out with the print in a Primark shopping bag. He said that was "about the height of the planning involved''.

'Not opportunistic'

In her sentencing remarks, the Belfast Recorder said it was clear to her that this was "a planned theft and not opportunistic".

"You were involved in this theft and you played your own part in it.''

Hajjaj had a relevant previous record in Northern Ireland for theft and dishonesty offences, including burglary and going equipped for theft, Judge Smyth said.

Despite being given opportunities by the courts to address his underlying alcohol addictions, Hajjaj continued to offend, she said.

He committed seven thefts between October and December 2024.

The judge said Hajjaj's "limited financial circumstances do not justify" his "repeated offences of dishonesty".

"You have shown a complete disregard for the law and also your victims," she said.