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Banksy prints, handwritten notes, a pair of trainers – and even a collection of “burner phones” – are among scores of items set to be auctioned from “the most definitive archive” of his early work.

Steve Lazarides, the anonymous street artist’s former agent and photographer, is auctioning artwork and other mementos amassed over more than 10 years of collaboration from the late 1990s.

He has held on to his collection since he and Banksy parted ways, but told Sky News it is now time “to move on”. The sale is estimated to make $2m (about £1.54m).

Julien’s, in California, will host the auction of more than 170 lots, including proof prints of famous works such as Love Is In The Air, Girl With Balloon, and several Rude Coppers, as well as a pair of special edition “owned and worn” Puma trainers (UK size 9, if that reveals anything) and 15 “burner phones used… to covertly contact Banksy when necessary”, including Nokia, Sony and Motorola models.

These Puma trainers have 'Turf War' embroidered on the heels, and 'Banksy' inside. Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
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These Puma trainers have ‘Turf War’ embroidered on the heels, and ‘Banksy’ inside. Pic: Julien’s/Steve Lazarides

The term burner phone is slang for a typically cheap, pay-as-you-go mobile that can not easily be traced to the user.

Lazarides said “there could well be stuff” still on the mobiles, but did not give any more away.

“The burner phone was bought every couple of weeks to be used as walkie talkies and every single message was simply ‘call me’,” he said. “It became like a James Bond espionage fun game, and using the communication choice of drug dealers was a riot!”

Banksy would not have been able to get away with everything he did in those early days without him, Lazarides said. And “there were others who helped, also”.

A stencil of Banksy's Drill Rat is among the items on sale in the Under Duress auction. Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
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This Drill Rat stencil is expected to fetch the highest price, with an estimate of up to $200,000. Pic: Julien’s/Steve Lazarides

The auction, titled Under Duress, includes hand-cut stencils featuring famous Banksy rats and chimpanzees. The item estimated to fetch the highest price is the Drill Rat stencil, with an additional hand-cutting of Banksy’s name attached, which is expected to sell for up to $200,000 (£154,000).

Bidding has already started online, with a proof print of Girl With Balloon currently attracting the highest offer, of $60,000 (£46,250).

Lazarides, who previously worked as a gallerist in and around Soho, central London, said he had always been a collector “of those weird little bits and bobs that look quite fun”, and “half the time it was just shit that was left in my car, or when we moved studios and it never got taken out the van or the car”.

Julien’s co-founder Darren Julien has described it as an “astonishing collection” offering an “unprecedented look at the history and path of the man that would become the world’s most famous and visionary artist”. The auction, he added, is a “historic opportunity for the next caretaker to own the most comprehensive and definitive archive of Banksy’s legacy”.

A print of Banksy's Love Is In The Air is among the items on sale in the Under Duress auction. Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
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A print of Love Is In The Air is also among the items up for auction. Pic: Julien’s/Steve Lazarides

While the work represents a huge part of Lazarides’ life, he said it felt cathartic to let go. He now wants to move on, go back to working as a photographer, and use the money to spend on his family.

“I’m the kind of person, if I’m letting go of one bit then it can all go. And it’s kind of, it’s done, that’s over, I can start moving on and doing something else and make some space in my cupboard… it’s been all pervasive for the last 25 years and it was time to move on.”

The item he has found most difficult to let go of is not a print, but a mission statement and logo for Pictures On Walls, the company he set up with Banksy “to let ordinary people love and afford art”. He says it was both his “and Banksy’s proudest moment”.

A print of Banksy's Pulp Fiction is among the items on sale in Steve Lazarides' Under Duress auction. Pic: Julien's/ Steve Lazarides
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A print of Banksy’s Pulp Fiction is also included. Pic: Julien’s/Steve Lazarides

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For years, Banksy’s identity has been the subject of much speculation. Most recently, the artist made headlines for a series of animal-themed artworks that sprang up across different areas of London over a nine-day period.

Lazarides said he liked the police box filled with fish, the seventh work in the series, which appeared in the City of London, but not much else.

“When he gets it right, he’s the best f****** artist in the world. That’s why I gave so much of my time to him, he’s brilliant.

The design of swimming fish has appeared on a police box in the City of London. Pic: PA
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The design of swimming fish appeared on a police box in the City of London in August, one of nine animal-themed designs in total. Pic: PA

“That series of London paintings, I don’t really understand where the politics have gone. And if there was a hidden meaning then he failed because you shouldn’t have to find another meaning as a viewer. Certainly not with graffiti, everyone should be able to understand it. Certainly with his.

“I don’t know, maybe he’s crippled by the fact there’s so many things to talk about, it’s easier to talk about nothing.”

What does Lazarides think the future holds for Banksy?

“I predict one day he will reveal himself and hopefully enjoy his life. I told him many times to do so.”

And if he did? “No one would believe it anyway!”

The Under Duress auction, the Banksy archive Of Steve Lazarides, starts at 10am local time (5pm in the UK) on 31 October

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Rapper charged with GBH – after singer Chris Brown remanded in custody over ‘bottle attack’

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Rapper charged with GBH - after singer Chris Brown remanded in custody over 'bottle attack'

A second man has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after an incident at a London nightclub that allegedly involved US singer Chris Brown.

The Metropolitan Police said Omololu Akinlolu, 38, will appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Better known by his stage name HoodyBaby, the American rapper has been charged in connection with an alleged assault at the Tape nightclub in central London in February 2023.

Brown, 36, was charged on Thursday with grievous bodily harm with intent and was remanded in custody by judge in Manchester until 13 June.

He is accused of attacking music producer Abraham Diaw with a bottle during the incident in February.

During a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Brown watched intently as brief details of the case against him were outlined by prosecutor Hannah Nicholls.

She accused Brown of committing “an unprovoked attack with a weapon in a nightclub full of people”.

Brown spoke to confirm his name and date of birth, but did not enter a plea.

He will appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing in London on 13 June.

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Brown – known for hits such as “Loyal”, “Run It” and “Under the Influence” – was arrested at a hotel in Manchester in the early hours of Thursday by detectives from the Metropolitan Police.

The Grammy Award-winning singer was due to tour the UK in June and July, with dates in Manchester, Cardiff, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.

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Cassie Ventura finishes her evidence after days describing alleged rape and ‘hundreds’ of freak offs

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Cassie Ventura finishes her evidence after days describing alleged rape and 'hundreds' of freak offs

R&B star Cassie Ventura told Sean “Diddy” Combs “I’m not a rag doll, I’m someone’s child”, after he allegedly beat her outside a lift at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016, a New York court has heard.

Footage of Combs appearing to drag and kick the R&B star in a corridor was initially released by CNN in May 2024. Combs subsequently apologised for his actions.

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CCTV footage shows Diddy ‘attacking’ Cassie in hotel

The footage of the incident, which Cassie says took place after she left a “freak off” sex session, has since been widely shared and has been shown to the jury in court as evidence for the prosecution.

Combs, 55, faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He denies the allegations against him.

Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, alleges she was physically abused and degraded for years by the powerful hip-hop star and music executive, accusing him of violence, coercion, blackmail and rape.

The 38-year-old, who is the star witness for the prosecution, faced a fourth day on the stand, with the hip-hop mogul’s defence lawyers concluding their two-day cross-examination.

Heavily pregnant, she is expecting her third child in just a few weeks.

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Prosecutors say Combs exploited and used his network of employees to facilitate illegal activities, while defence lawyers have been attempting to show jurors she consented to their highly charged “swingers lifestyle”.

The court also heard further details of Cassie’s allegation of rape against Combs, information around her stay at a trauma and addiction centre in Arizona and further messages appearing to show her enthusiasm for freak offs.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Cassie Ventura at the 2017 Costume Institute Benefit Gala ub 2017. Pic: zz/XPX/STAR MAX/IPx 2017/AP
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Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: zz/XPX/STAR MAX/IPx 2017/AP

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Day 5 – As it happened

Cassie was asked about singer Chris Brown – who she denied dancing with – and tells the court Combs had form for taking her belongings, including her phone, car and watch, when he was angry with her.

An audio recording was also played to the court, appearing to show Cassie threatening a man she claimed to have a video of her at a freak off on his phone, screaming: “I will f*** you up and it won’t be my hand”.

It was not clear as to whether such a video ever existed.

Cassie was also asked about her use of drugs, and said she had struggled with opioid addiction since 2022.

She described a 45-day stay at a rehabilitation centre in Arizona in 2023, where she underwent EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) to help resolve trauma.

The centre specialises in treating “sex and intimacy issues”, but Cassie confirmed she was treated only for trauma.

The court also heard about Cassie’s allegation of rape against Combs in August or September 2018, by which time she says they had split up.

The pair were together, on and off, for about 11 years from 2007 to 2018.

Sean "Diddy" Combs watches as Casandra "Cassie" Ventura leaves for a break in her testimony during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., May 15, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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A court sketch of Combs and Cassie. Pic: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg


‘I have love for the past, what it was’

Describing Combs taking her for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Malibu, she says he raped her after driving her home, after “acting strangely” during the meal.

When asked if she believed his behaviour was due to his “bipolar disorder”, Cassie answered “yes”.

The jury was then shown a text message which included a heart emoji, sent by Cassie to Combs the following day.

When asked if she still had love for him, she said: “I have love for the past, what it was.”

Cassie confirmed she saw Combs the following month, when she said she had consensual sex with him, during which her now-husband, personal trainer Alex Fine, attempted to FaceTime her.

She said she didn’t tell Fine she had been raped by Combs at the time, but that he “punched a wall” when she later told him.

Combs paid close attention to Cassie’s cross-examination, leaning in to read transcripts on the monitor in front of him and passing down notes to his lawyer. Cassie did not look at him throughout the trial.

Alex Fine, husband of Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, walks to enter Federal court for the Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial at U.S. court in Manhattan, in New York City, U.S., May 16, 2025. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado
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Cassie’s husband, Alex Fine (left), outside court. Pic: Reuters/David ‘Dee’ Delgado

A ‘$10m’ settlement with the Intercontinental

Towards the end of her questioning by the defence, Cassie was read a message from Combs in September 2012, in which he asked “do you want to have our last FO [freak off] tonight?” – to which she responded, “I don’t want to freak off for the last time, I want it to be the first time for the rest of our lives”.

In a surprise turn, Cassie also confirmed that an expected settlement of $10m had been agreed with the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was assaulted.

Following her time in court, she released a statement saying she hoped her testimony would help others “heal from the abuse and fear”.

“For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember,” she said. “And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.”

The next witness, special agent Yasin Binda, detailed items found during a search of Combs’s Park Hyatt hotel room in 2004, following his arrest that year.

She showed the court images of exhibits including lubricant and baby oil, drugs and a bum bag containing $9,000 (£6,800) in cash.

Dawn Richard points at  Combs during the trial. Pic: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg
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Dawn Richard points at Combs during the trial. Pic: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg

‘Hit over the head with a skillet of eggs’

At the end of the day, Dawn Richard, a former member of girl group Danity Kane and trio Dirty Money, gave evidence, telling the court she observed Combs attacking Cassie, including a time he “hit her over the head with a skillet of eggs”.

She went on to say Combs “dragged” Cassie upstairs where she “heard glass breaking”, adding she had “never seen anything” like it before – “he was punching his girlfriend”.

Richard said she didn’t intervene or report the incident to the police as she was “scared”.

The singer sued Combs last year, accusing him of physical abuse, groping and psychological abuse during her time working with him.

Combs has been jailed since September and faces at least 15 years or possibly life in prison if convicted.

The trial is set to last for seven more weeks.

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Salman Rushdie attacker who left author blind in one eye jailed

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Salman Rushdie attacker who left author blind in one eye jailed

A man convicted of stabbing Salman Rushdie, leaving the author blind in one eye, has been jailed for 25 years.

Hadi Matar was found guilty of attempted murder and assault in February.

Prosecutors had been seeking the maximum sentence of 25 years for the attack in August 2022, along with an additional seven-year term for injuring a second man.

Hadi Matar, right, charged with severely injuring author Salman Rushdie in a 2022 knife attack, is led in to Chautauqua County court in Mayville, N.Y., Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
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Hadi Matar. Pic: AP

During the trial, Sir Salman revealed he feared he was dying when the masked attacker plunged a knife into his head and body more than a dozen times.

The attack happened as the 77-year-old was introduced on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York for a discussion on writer safety.

Sir Salman was stabbed in the head, neck, torso and left hand and suffered damage to his liver and intestines.

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From 2024: Salman Rushdie recalls stabbing

The Midnight’s Children author spent 17 days at a hospital in Pennsylvania and more than three weeks at a rehabilitation facility in New York City, as he recovered from his injuries. He wrote about the attack and his recovery in his 2024 memoir Knife.

Matar will next face a trial on terrorism-related charges. Prosecutors allege the 27-year-old was trying to carry out a decades-old fatwa calling for the author’s death.

In 1989, Iran’s then leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued the fatwa in response to the publication of Sir Salman’s novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims consider blasphemous, causing the Indian born British-American author to go into hiding.

In 1998, Iran announced it would not enforce the decree, allowing Sir Salman to travel freely over the last quarter of a century.

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Matar pleaded not guilty to providing materials to terrorists, attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah and engaging in terrorism transcending national boundaries.

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