A Man Casually Steals An $8000 Painting Off The Wall At A Winery

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Article heading image for A Man Casually Steals An $8000 Painting Off The Wall At A Winery

Police are searching for a man who tried to run away with an $8000 painting he swiped off the wall at a winery in Perth's Swan Valley. Watch the video below.

Officers say the would-be thief was on a tour at Chapel Farm about 5.30pm on Saturday when he grabbed the artwork and scooted out the door.

The winery's executive chef, Amy-Joy Walker, said the man's friends initially said they would help retrieve the painting but after learning police had been called were less willing to assist.

Ms Walker said her father, Chapel Farm owner Darren Walker, was "obsessed" with the painting, which he'd bought in Thailand about a decade ago.

She said he had rejected several offers from customers to buy the painting over the years, so she jumped in her car with the sous chef to find the runaway filcher who had made it about 200 metres down the road.

"I thought, 'no way, he's not getting away with this'," she told AAP on Monday.

Ms Walker said the man had taken the artwork into bushland and her focus was purely on retrieving it as a wedding was scheduled at the venue and she "had to serve canapes in about 15 minutes".

She said her father, who was in Cairns at the time, was "stoked" with her for getting the painting back and it remained in safe keeping until they figured out how to fix it.

The painting, which staff call their "stone warrior" weighs about 50kg and four staff members were needed to initially hang it, Ms Walker said.

Social media users have been quick to help Chapel Farm find the culprit, who police say is 25 to 30 years old and about 165cm tall, with fair skin, a medium build and short brown hair.

14 June 2017




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