Banksy: Port Talbot man wanted to destroy Season's Greetings

A man tried to destroy a Banksy mural after hearing it was being moved from Wales to England, a court heard.

Michael Thomas, 42, tried to break his way into a Port Talbot building to spray the £500,000 artwork with white paint on 26 November last year.

Swansea Crown Court heard Thomas was angry the piece had been sold to a fan of the graffiti artist in London.

Thomas was given a 14 month suspended sentence after admitting attempted burglary and criminal damage.

The image, depicting a child enjoying snow falling - the other side revealing it was from a fire emitting ash - sparked a frenzy after it appeared on a steel worker's garage in 2018, and was later sold to art collector John Brandler.

The court heard how Thomas, of Mayfield Road, Port Talbot, tried to break into the building just days after it was revealed the piece was set to leave Wales.

Prosecutor Sian Cotter told the court neighbours called the police after hearing him breaking a window at 05:30 GMT.

"Witnesses heard him saying, 'It's the only thing in Port Talbot and they are taking it away'," she said.

"Thomas intended to destroy the painting so no-one else could have it.

"A couple and their five-year-old child heard the defendant shouting, 'It's for us. They're taking it away, some rich man has it'.

"Another witness heard Thomas shouting, 'I'm going to kill it'."

The court heard how Season's Greetings was valued at half-a-million pounds.

Port Talbot council put up a temporary structure around the Banksy after it appeared on the side of a garage in 2018.

Ms Cotter said: "Thomas called police to say he'd committed the damage in anger because he didn't want the painting to leave Port Talbot.

"He said the work was being moved to England and that made him angry so he decided to destroy it."

Jonathan Tarrant, defending, said it was more of a protest than an act of criminal intent and it was unlikely Thomas would reoffend.

Thomas was given a 14-month suspended prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Judge Geraint Walters told him: "There was an intention to move the Banksy artwork out of Port Talbot to the London area, and that angered you.

"It may well be that it was not Banksy's intention that the painting should ever leave Port Talbot.

"I am aware the decision to remove the work has caused consternation in some quarters."

The judge said Thomas reacted "bizarrely" by breaking into the building with the intention of destroying the Banksy.

He added: "This work does now belong to an individual who has had to pay for it.

"The commercial reality is that it is a work of art of great value and now it's in private ownership."

Thomas was ordered to pay £1,058 compensation and has to wear an electronic tag for 12 weeks.