Father and son sentenced after burglary at Damien Hirst's west London art studio
More than £5,000 worth of goods were taken from Thames Wharf Studios in Hammersmith
A man who removed his court-issued tag to avoid being caught after burgling an art studio in Hammersmith has been jailed for more than two years.
Liam Middleton-Gomm broke into a premises on Rainville Road in June and stole a number of high-value artworks including customised jackets designed by renowned British artist, Damien Hirst.
After leaving the premises Middleton-Gomm travelled to and stayed at the home of his father, Leslie Gomm. During the Met’s investigation photographs of some of the stolen items were found on Leslie Gomm’s phone and investigators discovered that in the hours following the burglary Gomm carried out Google searches for terms including ‘Damien Hirst’ and ‘leather jackets.’
It is understood Middleton-Gomm stole multiple leather jackets that were being embellished, as well as trousers, embroidered shirts, and a Dior pram with silver skulls on the wheels. Some of the property was sold on and has not been recovered.
His father, Leslie Gomm, 62, of Fulham, west London, previously pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods for his son's benefi
Yesterday afternoon (Thursday, 30 October) at Kingston Crown Court, Liam Middleton-Gomm was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for burglary.
His Dad, Leslie Gomm was sentenced to a one year conditional discharge for handling stolen goods.
A key piece of evidence in the investigation was the GPS tracking on a court tag, which Middleton-Gomm was wearing when he broke into the art studio on Monday, 30 June. A jury at Kingston Crown Court were told that DNA evidence and data from the tag proved he was at the premises at the time of the burglary.
PC Max Aldred, who led the Met's investigation, said: "As soon as Liam Middleton-Gomm knew police were looking for him, he cut off his tag and went on the run – he knew officers would be able to pin him to the location of the crime.
"The data-sharing agreement between police and the Ministry of Justice is vital when both parties work together to find and prosecute offenders. It means that criminal suspects are more likely to be identified – and now have even fewer places to run to."