45
nameisKemptonBuntonandI’mturning
myself infortheGoya,”hesaid.Thepolice
didnotbelievehim.Tall,ageingand
weighingnearly 18stone,Buntonwasnocat
burglar.Buthegavesamples ofpaperand
handwritingthatmatchedtheransomnotes.
Buntonsaidhewasturninghimself in
becausehewas“sickandtired ofthewhole
affair”,because hissecrethadleakedandhe
didnotwant“acertaingentleman”claiming
thereward, andto“avoidthe stigmaofbeing
broughtherein chains”.
“Are yougoingtochargemeor not?”he
beratedthe police.Theyeventuallydid so
becauseittranspiredthat Buntonhada
bizarre–butjustaboutplausible–motive.
KemptonBunton(namedafterhisfatherhad
enjoyedagooddayattheraces) left school
at 12tohelphismother runapubwhilehis
father foughtintheFirst WorldWar.He
married,hadsevenchildren,andscrapeda
livingdoingdrivingandlabouringjobs,severalof whichhelost
becausehewasargumentative.Hewas alsoadreamer who
believedinsocialjusticeandwrotenumerousradioandtelevision
playsthatwereinvariablyrejected.
By 1960 ,Buntonhadbeguncampaigningforfreetelevision
licencesforpensioners,andwasthreetimesjailed forrefusing
to pay his£4licencefee.Hehad alsodiscoveredfromhislocal
librarythatWellingtonwasanautocratwhodespisedthelower
classes,andreckonedthat“hisportraitmightbringmore
happiness intotheworld thanever hehadhimself”.HadBunton
receivedthe £ 140 ,000ransom,
he said,hewouldhave used itto
give licencestolonelyold folk.
Histrialbeganat theOldBailey
inNovember 1 965.Hewas
represented–forfun–by
JeremyHutchinson,atopcriminalbarristerwhoseotherclients
includedthe GreatTrainRobberCharlieWilsonandthe Profumo
scandal modelChristineKeeler. Bunton, thequintessentialEnglish
underdog,charmedthe jury.Hesaidhewasdisgustedthat
£140,000could bespentonapaintingwhenmanyoldfolkcould
notaffordtowatchtelevision.Hehadstored thepaintingin a
bedroomcupboardin hiscouncilhouse,buthadnotinformedhis
wife“becausetheworld wouldhave knew[sic]if I’dtoldher”.
Henever intendedtokeeptheportrait,he insisted,because
“itwas noearthlygoodtome...Iwouldn’t hangitin myown
kitchenifit was myownpicture”.Buntonwas,saidHutchinson,
“ratheradarling”, andthe juryacquitted him.Thejudge wasless
amused.“Creeping intopublicgalleriesto extract picturesof
valueinorderto usethemforyour ownpurposes hasgot to be
discouraged,”hedeclared. Hesent BuntontoWandsworth prison
forthreemonths forstealing theportrait’slong-discarded frame.
Thatwouldhavebeenthe endofthe matter,had thepolicenot
stoppedastolenvan in Leedsfouryearsafter Kempton’strial.
Thedriverwas hisson,Jackie,whoaskedforanotheroffence to
be takenintoconsideration. Heconfessedit washe,not his
father, whotookthe Goya.Thedirectorof public prosecutions,
however,chosenot to chargeJackieprovidedhe kept quiet. Thus
Jackie managedtostealamasterpiecefromtheNationalGallery
andescapescot-free.
ChrisBuntonwas bornshortly afterKemptondied in 1976.His
familynevertalkedaboutthetheft whilehewas growingup.“A
lotofthemwere reallyashamedofthe wholething,”hesays.
Not,thatis, until Jackie told himthe storyonaferry tripfrom
NewcastletoBergenwhen Chris wasateenager.“I thoughthe
hadhad onetoomanydrinks,”herecalls. Chrisnowlives in New
Yorkwhereheorganisesonline eventsforITcompanies. Afterhis
father hadaheartattackin2 01 3, hedecided
topreservethe storyforposterity.Hetook
another ferrytripwithhisfather,thistime
toAmsterdam,pliedhimwithquestions and
recorded theanswers.Jackietoldhimhowthegallery’sacquisition
oftheGoya wasbignewsin August 1 961.
HewasdrivingtaxisinNewcastleat the
time,andconceivedthe ideaofstealingit
either tomakesomemoneyortosupport his
father’slicence-feecampaign.Hemovedto
London,rentedaroomoffTottenhamCourt
Road,andfoundworkdeliveringfurcoats
whilehe laidhisplans.Hegotamapof the
galleryfromitsfrontdesk,andidentifiedthe
gents.Heputtape onthedoor,amatchstick
onthewindowandabit offluffonthe
paintingtocheck theywerenotlockedor
removedatnight. Fromanindiscreetguard
he learntthat thegallerywaspatrolledevery
20 minutesatnight,andthatitsalarmswere
switched offearlyeachmorningforthecleaners.Hescoped out
theback ofthegalleryfromthesecondfloorofanearbylibrary,
andnoticedthatbuilderswereworkingonit. Hewasallset.Onthenightof 2 0Augusthe dressedincrepe-soledshoesandan
oldcoatpurchasedfromacharity shop.HestoleaWolseley car
–“hewasabitofapettycriminalat that point”Chrisadmits–
andatabout4amonthe 21st, heparkedbehindthegallery and
scaledawallby standingonaparkingmeter.Hethentookthe
builders’ladderandclimbedthroughthewindowof thegents.“I
keptaslowasIcouldthroughthegallery,”Jackie said. “Ididn’t
bumpintoanyguardsandthere
werenoalarms.At thepictureI
placedonefootinsidetherope
barrier,quicklygrabbedthe
painting,andwithout wasting
anytime,leftthewayIwentin.”Ashedrove offwith thepaintinginfullviewonthe backseathe
wasreprimandedbyapolicemanforgoingthewrongwaydown
aone-waystreet.Backathisdigshe hid thepaintingunderhis
bed.Afterthathe did notknowwhattodobecause,“I’dnever
expectedtogetas far”.Sohetelephoned hisfather.“ItoldhimI
hadapaintingandhesaid,‘Is ittheGoya?’”,Jackierecalled.“He
guessedas itwas alloverthenews.”KemptoncametoLondon
andsentJackiehome.Hewaitedtwoweeks forthehullabaloo
to pass,thentookatrainbacktoNewcastlewiththepainting.AskedwhyKemptonconfessedtoacrimehe’dnevercommitted,
Jackie saidhisbrotherKen’sgirlfriendhadlearntof the theftand
wasthreateningtoturnhimin. Hedidnot stepforwardwhen
Kemptonwentontrial because, “Heorderedmenotto.Hedidn’t
wantmeto getintotrouble,andIthinkhe enjoyedthe whole
adventure andthe publicityhe waswinningfor hiscampaign.”
Jackie finally confessedin1969because, he said, “I justwantedto
getonwithmylife andwas tiredof havingit hangingover me.I
didn’twantit to comeupdownthelineandwantedit removed
frommyfather’s recordas he couldn’t get work.”Theauthorities
didnot prosecuteJackie,hesaid,because “theydidn’twantthe
hassleandfurther embarrassment”.ThereafterJackie“pretty
muchturnedhislife around”,saysChris.Hemarried,had
childrenandranhis ownremovalbusinessuntil he retired.In 2014,Chris turnedthewholeextraordinarystoryinto a
screenplay.The film’sUKpremierewasheldlastweek wherethe
storybegan, at theNationalGallery.Jackiewasnotthere,butthe
Duke himself was. AndKemptonBuntondoubtlessattendedin
spirit, smilingat theway things have turned out.Alonger versionofthis article appeared in TheTime
©The Times/NewsLicensingThe last word
19 February 2022 THEWEEKSavedforthenation,thenpinched“‘Mynameis KemptonBuntonand
I’mturningmyselfin for theGoya,’Bunton
toldpolice.Theydidn’tbelievehim”