Burglar who raided Damien Hirst's studio jailed after GPS ankle tag exposes him to police

Liam Middleton-Gomm, 36, stole £5,130 worth of goods when he broke into Thames Wharf Studios in west London on June 30.

Kingston Crown Court heard how the burglar entered the building by smashing the window beside a fire exit and reaching in to activate the shutter, before snatching electronic items, clothing and a pram.

After stealing the producys - which included several leather jackets and a Dior pram with silver skulls on the wheels - the experienced thief fled to his father’s property.

But he was eventually caught and charged after police examined data from a GPS ankle tag he was given from a previous conviction and DNA at the scene, prosecutor Paul Andrews told the court.

Unfortunately for Hirst, some of the goods were sold on and have not been recovered.

Middleton-Gomm's father, Leslie Gomm, previously pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods for his son's benefit.

The 62-year-old, of Fulham, west London, did not know the studio was being burgled, the prosecution said.

He was given a one-year conditional release on Thursday, having been in custody for three and a half months before his sentencing.

The court heard Middleton-Gomm has 39 previous convictions involving 83 offences, including several house burglaries.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of burgling Hirst’s riverside studio.

The defendant was also sentenced for two house burglaries on July 9 and July 17, as well as the attempted burglary of a property on July 9.

Sentencing Middleton-Gomm to 32 months in prison, Judge Barklem said: "You were actually wearing a GPS tag that was part of your licence conditions when you were carrying out these offences.”

Lord James Timpson, the minister for prisons, said in a statement released after the hearing: “Our GPS tags send a clear message to offenders: if you break the law, we’ll know where you’ve been and justice will come for you.”

Renowned artist Hirst first came to public attention in 1988 when he was a student at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he conceived and curated the group exhibition Freeze.

His most famous pieces include the formaldehyde-preserved cow and calf - called Mother and Child, Divided - and the preserved tiger sharked in a glass tank, titled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.