London Man Could Face 3 Years in Prison for Putting Precious Banksy Sperm Mural on eBay

Banksy's "Sperm Alarm"

A 32-year-old man accused of removing a Banksy artwork from the outside wall of a London hotel has gone on trial. The well-documented mural — known as "Sperm Alarm" — pictures 15 spermatozoa swimming around a red sprinkler alarm as if were an egg about to be impregnated. It was painted by the world-famous street artist on a panel at the four-star Hesperia Hotel in Victoria.

According to the UK art webiste Artlyst, Leon Lawrence, from Covent Garden, allegedly ripped the artwork with an angle grinder last February. He is believed to have framed it and put it on eBay using his personal account, LeonLeon. The piece was offered with a starting bid of £17,000 ($26,700).

The seller tried and failed to move the artwork between February 9 and April 4, 2011, Southwark Crown Court heard yesterday. It was eventually spotted by hotel staff and taken off the auction site. The defendant denies the charges of handling stolen goods and attempting to convert stolen property — in this case, attempting to turn a chunk of a hotel's wall into eBay gold. If found guilty, Lawrence could face up to three years in jail. The trial is ongoing.