Man 'stole Banksy for collection of love hearts'

Girl with Balloon was stolen from a gallery in New Cavendish Street, Fitzrovia

A builder accused of stealing a Banksy print has told a court he wanted to add it to his existing collection of artwork featuring love hearts.

Girl with Balloon, valued at £270,000, was taken from the Grove Gallery in central London in September last year.

James Love, 54, who hid the work after another man had smashed through the door of the gallery, wanted the Banksy "on his walls", jurors were told.

The limited edition print was recovered by the Met Police when Mr Love told them where to find it.

Larry Fraser has already admitted smashing into the gallery and taking the print

Kingston Crown Court heard the other man, 48-year-old Larry Fraser, had already pleaded guilty to burglary.

Prosecution barrister Philip Stott said Mr Love was a "relatively successful builder" whereas Fraser was "impoverished" and only had £1.75 in his bank account the day before the theft.

Mr Love had transferred £200 to Fraser on the day of the offence, Mr Stott said.

On the evening the Banksy was taken, the mobile phones of both men were being used in the vicinity of the gallery, the jury was told, and Fraser is said to have called Mr Love minutes after smashing the gallery doors and taking the painting.

After leaving the gallery, Fraser took the print into a nearby property where he left the artwork and changed his top, the trial heard.

Soon after, the night watchman at the building was "startled" to find a "large painting" by an interior doorway and had "no idea how it had got there because it hadn't been there when he walked past the same spot earlier that evening", Mr Stott said.

He claimed the duo pushed past the night watchman, collected the artwork and drove to a block of flats in the Isle of Dogs where Mr Love unloaded the Banksy.

Love heart collection

Mr Stott said there was a "relatively large number of pictures, about four, featuring love hearts" on the walls of Mr Love's home and that the stolen work was "consistent with those others".

"Given that it was Mr Love who had multiple pieces of art based on love hearts already on his walls, it was likely stolen with a view to it eventually, when the heat had died down, ending up in the same place."

Mr Love, of North Stifford, Grays, Essex denies burglary, and the trial continues.