WHO STRUCK IN 11 LONDON BOROUGHS SENTENCED TO NINE MONTHS – LONDON/HERTS/SUSSEX/KENT
A prolific graffiti vandal who caused over £40,000 worth of damage in 11 London boroughs, as well as in Hertfordshire, Sussex and Kent, has been found guilty of criminal damage and sentenced to nine months imprisonment following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.
*** ***, 27, of *** Road, Mitcham, was also given a five year anti-social behaviour order when he was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court today, Tuesday, 20 July.
The court heard that *** – who pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage at an earlier hearing– caused damage over a period of two years between January 2008 and March this year.
He targeted buildings, trains, stations and infrastructure in 11 London boroughs, as well as in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, Three Bridges in Sussex and Shepherds Well in Kent.
The total damage caused by *** was estimated as being in excess of £40,000.
*** was arrested on 14 January earlier this year after being linked to graffiti damage caused to a train in Three Bridges, Sussex a few days earlier.
After attending and taking photographs of the train and a known ‘tag’ inscribed on it, detectives from BTP’s Graffiti Unit checked the tag against a police graffiti database, linking it to ***, as well as other locations where the tag had been daubed.
Detectives executed a search warrant at ***’s address in Mitcham and recovered a number of items relating to graffiti, including pieces of paper with the tag sketched on, as well as paraphernalia such as spray paint cans, marker pens and photographs of *** associating with other known graffiti vandals.
After being questioned in custody, *** was released on police bail while investigators carried out further enquiries.
Using handwriting analysis, detectives then set about comparing the tag *** had daubed on the train at Three Bridges with police photographs of the same tag in various other locations, with the unique style and characteristics of each tag confirming him as the culprit.
The court also heard that *** continued to offend while on police bail, daubing a train with graffiti in Shepherd’s Well, Kent, in March 2010.
Detective Constable Colin Saysell, of BTP’s Graffiti Unit, said:
"Vandals like *** who commit graffiti offences often believe that their work is art – sadly when the chosen canvas is railway property it cannot be considered art and is nothing more than wanton damage that costs thousands of pounds to clean up.
"Writing graffiti on the railway or elsewhere is not a harmless pastime and we hope the sentence handed down to *** acts as a deterrent to other likeminded individuals. We will continue to work closely with train operating companies, Network Rail and other police forces to reduce these criminal acts.”
Monday, 26 July 2010
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Know your rights
http://www.release.org.uk/
Release is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law - providing free and confidential specialist advice to the public and professionals.
Release also campaigns for changes to UK drug policy to bring about a fairer and more compassionate legal framework to manage drug use in our society.
http://www.penaltychargenotice.co.uk/
We have campaigned on behalf of motorists for over 12 years to have the current unfair and, in our opinion revenue orientated enforcement of parking and moving traffic offences by local councils and transport for London changed.
A couple of websites worth saving. The parking one does run off donations but its still full of useful info. Support these guys
Friday, 16 July 2010
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
London graffiti crew jailed
Tube graffiti gang jailed for ‘epidemic’ of train vandalism
A teenage gang has been locked up for vandalising dozens of Tube trains and stations with graffiti.
The teenagers daubed the tag “FTS” all over the trains and filmed themselves on their mobile phones. One of the gang brazenly declared online: “If I get two years I'll still paint.”
The youngest gang member was only 14 when took part in the vandalism between April 2008 and June last year. Now 16, he was sentenced alongside a 17-year-old who also cannot be named and four older youths at Southwark crown court.
Passing sentence Judge John Price said: “The damage was a very large scale. Whole Tube carriages were defaced. It is an epidemic. We see it all over London.
“It is distressing for people, it causes chaos, carriages have to be taken out of use at enormous cost and repainted.”
Earlier, prosecutor William McGivern said the gang's damage amounted to nearly £60,000 and disrupted commuter services across north-west London and the suburbs.
The gang was in contact by email, phone or text to discuss targets, security and meeting places.
They would then get to work armed with bolt cutters, spray cans, permanent marker pens, acid and paint.
Most of the gang were arrested in July last year after a long-running operation by British Transport Police.
*****, 18, *****, 18, *****, 18, and *****, 19, all of Pinner, admitted conspiracy to cause criminal damage and were sent to a young offender institute for nine months each.
The 17-year-old was given an eight-month detention and training order and the 16-year-old was ordered to undergo two years' supervision and comply with a three-month curfew.
Each defendant also received a three-year Asbo banning them from carrying graffiti-related items or from entering private railway property.
A teenage gang has been locked up for vandalising dozens of Tube trains and stations with graffiti.
The teenagers daubed the tag “FTS” all over the trains and filmed themselves on their mobile phones. One of the gang brazenly declared online: “If I get two years I'll still paint.”
The youngest gang member was only 14 when took part in the vandalism between April 2008 and June last year. Now 16, he was sentenced alongside a 17-year-old who also cannot be named and four older youths at Southwark crown court.
Passing sentence Judge John Price said: “The damage was a very large scale. Whole Tube carriages were defaced. It is an epidemic. We see it all over London.
“It is distressing for people, it causes chaos, carriages have to be taken out of use at enormous cost and repainted.”
Earlier, prosecutor William McGivern said the gang's damage amounted to nearly £60,000 and disrupted commuter services across north-west London and the suburbs.
The gang was in contact by email, phone or text to discuss targets, security and meeting places.
They would then get to work armed with bolt cutters, spray cans, permanent marker pens, acid and paint.
Most of the gang were arrested in July last year after a long-running operation by British Transport Police.
*****, 18, *****, 18, *****, 18, and *****, 19, all of Pinner, admitted conspiracy to cause criminal damage and were sent to a young offender institute for nine months each.
The 17-year-old was given an eight-month detention and training order and the 16-year-old was ordered to undergo two years' supervision and comply with a three-month curfew.
Each defendant also received a three-year Asbo banning them from carrying graffiti-related items or from entering private railway property.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Dier funeral
info
Jonny/Dier Funeral. Tuesday 13th July at 3pm at Croydon cemetary (crematoriam). Everyone welcome. Flowers to be sent to Francis Chappell. West Wickham kent, by 10 am on the day of the funeral.
Jonny/Dier Funeral. Tuesday 13th July at 3pm at Croydon cemetary (crematoriam). Everyone welcome. Flowers to be sent to Francis Chappell. West Wickham kent, by 10 am on the day of the funeral.
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