Two charged after raiding London gallery for Banksy artwork

Jack Aylmer

YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS MOMENT FROM AN AUCTION IN LONDON IN 2018—

 A PAINTING BY THE BRITISH STREET ARTIST BANKSY BEING SHREDDED JUST MOMENTS AFTER IT WAS SOLD FOR 1 POINT 4 MILLION DOLLARS.

THE MYSTERIOUS CREATOR LATER ADMITTING THAT WAS ALL PART OF HIS PLAN –

BUT WHAT HAPPENED RECENTLY TO ANOTHER VERSION OF HIS FAMOUS PAINTING WAS NOT.

THE WORK TITLED “GIRL WITH BALLOON” WAS STOLEN FROM THE GROVE GALLERY IN LONDON AROUND 11 P.M. SUNDAY.

SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE OBTAINED BY THE BBC SHOWS A THIEF USING AN OBJECT TO SMASH IN THE DOOR TO THE GALLERY.

ONCE INSIDE THE SUSPECT TAKES THE PAINTING – POLICE SAY THAT WAS ONLY THE ITEM TAKEN DURING THE BURGLARY.

TWO MEN – A 47-YEAR-OLD AND A 53-YEAR-OLD – HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN THE BURGLARY.

THE ARTWORK WAS LATER RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO THE GALLERY.

THE PAINTING HAD BEEN PART OF AN EXHIBIT CALLED “BREAKOUT: BANKSY’S LONDON REBELLION” APPEARING ALONGSIDE OTHER OF BANKSY’S NOTABLE WORKS.

BANSKY MOST RECENTLY MADE HEADLINES FOR HIS MURAL AT THE LONDON ZOO SHOWING ANIMALS ESCAPING FROM THE GATES – A STORY STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTED ON LAST MONTH.

THE MURAL WAS PART OF A LARGER SERIES AROUND THE CITY – WHICH INCLUDED A HOWLING WOLF ON A SATELLITE DISH – THAT PIECE WAS ALSO STOLEN HOURS AFTER BANKSY CONFIRMED IT WAS ONE OF HIS WORKS.   

A REPRESENTATIVE FOR BANSKY SAID HE WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE THEFT. BUT AS FOR THE 20-18 SHREDDING INCIDENT, HE WAS BEHIND THAT. AND IN FACT, THAT VERSION OF THE ‘GIRL WITH BALLOON’ PAINTING –ACTUALLY WENT UP IN VALUE AFTER BEING DESTROYED – SELLING FOR 25 MILLION DOLLARS IN 20-21.