Thieves who stole Banksy's Bataclan mural found guilty in France

Eight French citizens were found guilty of stealing a mural created by street artist Banksy.

Banksy painted a mural depicting a mournful, veiled female figure in June 2018 on the Bataclan concert venue's fire exit doors. This was where 90 people were killed during an Islamist attack on Paris on November 13, 2015.

The January 2019 burglary of the door led to it being stolen by Italian police in 2020. It was then found in a farmhouse and handed back to France.

The surveillance camera captured three men and they were identified by police after they tracked their phones. They used an angle grinder and a crowbar to free the item. This was a short-term crime, according to the court.

The longest sentence was six months suspended. The harshest sentence was four years in prison. Two of these were suspended. However, none of them will likely go to jail because they have already served some sentences.

Although the trio admitted to theft, they disputed the identity of the perpetrators. Some of the men's defense lawyers argued that the theft was a case where small-time crooks were able to get a more difficult object than they expected.

The men in question were found guilty of receiving stolen goods.

The thieves have targeted Banksy pieces before. A valuable painting depicting a rat carrying luggage was taken from a box at the house of Melbourne a decade ago.

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