Man with GPS Tag Jailed 32 Months for Damien Hirst Studio Theft

Liam Middleton-Gomm, a career criminal with 39 prior convictions, was jailed for 32 months after breaking into Damien Hirst's Thames Wharf Studios in London and stealing over £5,000 worth of goods, including leather jackets, embroidered clothing, electronic items, and a distinctive Dior pram. He committed the burglaries on two occasions while wearing a GPS-enabled ankle tag, which police used to trace his movements and link him to the crime. Some of the stolen items were sold and remain unrecovered. Middleton-Gomm's father, Leslie Gomm, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and received a one-year conditional discharge. The court noted Middleton-Gomm's severe prior record as an aggravating factor, and the case highlighted the effectiveness of GPS tags in monitoring offenders, as emphasized by the minister for prisons. Middleton-Gomm also suffered serious injuries from a fall while fleeing police, which his defense cited during sentencing.