A British man has been sentenced to more than a year in prison for stealing a high-value print of Banksy’s iconic Girl with Balloon from a London gallery, in what authorities described as a “brazen burglary” caught entirely on camera.

Thief Jailed After High-Value Artwork Theft

Larry Fraser, 49, received a 13-month custodial sentence on Friday at Kingston Crown Court after admitting to smashing into the Grove Gallery in southwest London and stealing the artwork in September 2024. The print, valued at £270,000 ($355,200), was taken during an early-morning break-in.

Despite wearing a mask in an effort to conceal his identity, Fraser was clearly visible on CCTV. Investigators from London’s Metropolitan Police tracked him down within two days, recovering the artwork shortly afterward.

Judge Anne Brown called the crime a “serious and deliberate non-domestic burglary,” underscoring the cultural and financial importance of the stolen Banksy print.

A Global Icon: Banksy’s Girl with Balloon

Originally appearing on a wall in Shoreditch in 2002, Girl with Balloon quickly became one of the most recognizable works by the secretive street artist. Banksy later produced additional versions, including one on London’s South Bank in 2004, and another in the occupied West Bank in 2005, where the artist has created multiple politically charged pieces.

The image gained further worldwide attention in 2018, when a framed print sold for more than £1 million ($1.3m) at Sotheby’s before famously shredding itself moments after the hammer fell — a stunt staged by Banksy that went viral worldwide.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather praised the swift investigation, saying: “Banksy’s Girl with Balloon is known across the world – and we reacted immediately to bring Fraser to justice and reunite the artwork with the gallery.”

Banksy’s Long History of Artwork in Palestine

Beyond his London street art, Banksy has left a major artistic footprint in Palestine, using his trademark stencilled murals to comment on conflict, occupation, and separation.

2005: Murals Along the West Bank Separation Wall

During a secretive visit, Banksy painted nine murals along Israel’s eight-metre-high separation wall. These provocative works included:

• A young girl lifted by red balloons over the concrete barrier
• A ladder stretching over the wall
• A painted “window” looking out onto imaginary mountains, adding beauty to a bleak structure

2007: Bethlehem Christmas Murals

In Bethlehem in 2007, Banksy created several murals as part of a Christmas exhibition, including the widely recognized image of:

• A young girl frisking an Israeli soldier

These pieces drew international attention and helped boost local tourism at a time of intense political tension.

2015: Secret Trip to Gaza

In 2015, Banksy reportedly slipped into Gaza through a smuggling tunnel to paint three murals on the remains of homes destroyed during Israel’s military assault the previous year.

2017: Walled Off Hotel Opens

Banksy later opened the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, a functioning hotel located just four metres from the separation wall. The hotel is filled with original artwork and designed to provoke conversation about the Israeli occupation.

Banksy Art Continues to Spark Debate in the UK

Earlier this year, British authorities attempted to remove a mural believed to be by Banksy on a London court building. The artwork depicted a judge striking a protester, widely interpreted as commentary on the UK’s increasing crackdown on the activist group Palestine Action.

Banksy’s Global Influence

From a mysterious graffiti artist in Bristol, Banksy has become one of the most influential and sought-after contemporary artists in the world. His politically charged, ironic, and often subversive pieces frequently appear overnight and generate immediate global media attention. His works sell for massive sums, though many pieces remain on public streets and buildings.

The theft — and recovery — of Girl with Balloon underscores the enormous cultural and financial importance of Banksy’s art, as well as the challenges galleries face in protecting such high-value, high-profile works.