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A former railway worker who handled £400,000 worth of clothes and musical equipment stolen from artist Damien Hirst is facing jail.
Leslie Gomm, 61, admitted handling stolen goods while his son, Liam, 36, has now been charged with burgling Hirst’s studio at Thames Wharf in Hammersmith.
Among the stolen items belonging to Hirst were unique T-shirts, twelve ‘specially adapted jackets’ and jeans designed by him, along with a set of hi-tech speakers.
According to neighbours, none of Hirst’s celebrated works were taken, with the thief understood to have walked ‘straight past invaluable artwork’ during the burglary.
Hirst is one of the world’s richest artists with a net worth of around £300m.
Leslie Gomm, of Fulham, appeared at Isleworth Crown Court today via video-link from HMP Wandsworth and spoke to confirm his personal details.
Ravinder Johal, prosecuting, said: ‘There have been some developments in the case. Mr Gomm’s son has now been charged with burglary.’
Mr Johal said Liam Gomm’s plea and trial preparation hearing will take place at Kingston Crown Court on September 19.
Leslie Gomm, 61, (pictured) faces prison after admitting handling £400k worth of stolen goods taken from Damien Hirst – while his son Liam, 36, has been charged with burglary
Among the stolen items belonging to Turner Prize-winning artist Damien Hirst were unique T-shirts, twelve ‘specially adapted jackets’ and jeans designed by him and a set of hi-tech speakers. Pictured: Hirst burning one of his artworks during Frieze Week
The heist took place between June 27 and 30 in Hirst’s sprawling studio at the Thames Wharf building in west London, which overlooks the river between Hammersmith and Putney bridges
‘The son said he was asleep and had no knowledge of the burglary,’ the barrister said.
Samir Asha, defending Leslie Gomm, said: ‘In his initial statement, Mr Hirst said most of these items were work in progress, so the items stolen may have not had as much value.’
Judge Edward Connell remanded Leslie in custody to appear with Liam at Kingston Crown Court on September 19.
Leslie Gomm handled the stolen items between June 29 and July 8.
Residents by Thames Wharf told MailOnline previously it was thought the thief walked past priceless artworks to target the clothes.
One said: ‘We heard they went in on about the 30th.
‘But quite amusingly the rumour is they did not take any artwork.
Hirst poses before his creation ‘The immortal’ (1999) representing a white shark, on March 29, 2010 at the Oceanography Museum in Monaco
Hirst burst onto the art scene in the 1990s, along with fellow artists like Tracey Emin, and his work was championed by the influential collector Charles Saatchi
‘Whoever it was just went straight past invaluable artwork and made off with thousands in clothes.’
Hirst burst onto the art scene in the 1990s, along with fellow artists like Tracey Emin, and his work was championed by the influential collector Charles Saatchi.
He is a Turner Prize winner who has produced famous pieces including a tiger shark in formaldehyde, which he called 1991’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.
His works have sold for huge sums, such as Lullaby Spring, a cabinet holding 6,136 individually painted pills, which sold for £15 million in 2007.
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