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Teenager sentenced for graffiti damage
A HYDE teenager, who caused thousands of pounds of graffiti damage to Winchester city centre, has been handed an Asbo and told not to carry spray paint in the city for two years.
Eldon Griffiths-James, who pleaded guilty to six charges of causing criminal damage, was sentenced at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on Friday (June 20).
The 19-year-old, of Nuns Road, admitted going on a drunken graffiti rampage across the city on Friday, May 2 and the early hours of Saturday, May 3.
His tag, the word NEMEW, was found daubed in white emulsion paint at various locations, including River Park Leisure Centre, on a Nissan Micra car parked in Gladstone Street and in St George's Street. Some of the tags were in four feet by six feet lettering.
Winchester City Council is still calculating the cost of removing the graffiti, which took around two weeks to scrub off, but expects the damage to amount to thousands of pounds.
Robert Simpson, mitigating, said that the teen, who has a drinking problem, decided to paint the graffiti after drinking 14 cans of lager and taking cocaine. He added that Griffiths-James, a gardener, admitted he got a buzz from his actions, but felt guilty the next morning when he was sober.
Officers searched his home the next day and found his clothing covered in white paint and the word NEMEW', which is his Internet user name and e-mail address, on his computer.
In his initial police interview he said that his friends had done it and that he had just held the paint but when confronted with CCTV footage of the crime, admitted that it was him.
Griffiths-James, who also asked magistrates to take into account a further 36 matters of criminal damage, was given a 12-month community order for the graffiti and also for breaking the terms of a conditional discharge he was on at the time for being abusive to a train guard.
As part of the order, he must carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, be under supervision for six months and receive treatment for his alcohol problem for six months. He was also ordered to pay £43 costs but magistrates decided not to make him pay compensation.
His Asbo will last for two years and during that time he must not carry spray paint, spray cans or brushes in public in Winchester and must not spray, write or put graffiti on any property in Winchester, unless he has the expressed permission of the owner.
Winchester City Council's head of environment, Robert Heathcock, said: "This act of vandalism cost several thousand pounds to clear up and we are delighted that the court appears to have recognised the seriousness of the offence.
"We hope that he will perform community work which is appropriate to his crime, such as clearing away any graffiti around the district. The court's punishment, particularly its decision to issue an ASBO, will hopefully act as a deterrent to him in future.
"We want this case to send out a strong warning that Winchester City Council will not hesitate to take strong action against vandals."
10:19am Tuesday 24th June 2008
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CommentPosted by: Phil the Sceptic, Winchester on 11:13am Tue 24 Jun 08
Another one gets away with a slap on the wrist for criminal damage plus 36 other offences. He should at least have been ordered to pay full compensation then maybe he won't have enough money to buy drink and drugs.
Another one gets away with a slap on the wrist for criminal damage plus 36 other offences. He should at least have been ordered to pay full compensation then maybe he won't have enough money to buy drink and drugs.
Posted by: Stephen, Winchester on 2:50pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Winchester City Council's response is pathetic, Phil the Sceptic is right. Never mind Winchester City Council can continue to soak the council tax payer. Who will compensate the motorists affected, will it be Winchester Council?
Winchester City Council's response is pathetic, Phil the Sceptic is right. Never mind Winchester City Council can continue to soak the council tax payer. Who will compensate the motorists affected, will it be Winchester Council?
Posted by: Waddi El Izgowinon, soton on 6:26pm Sat 28 Jun 08
"send out a strong message" Is that it, is that the punchline ? oh right - ha ha ha ha !
"send out a strong message" Is that it, is that the punchline ? oh right - ha ha ha ha !
Posted by: Peter, Winchester on 6:43pm Sat 28 Jun 08
If I had caught him spraying graffiti on my property I would chopped his king arms off!
This sends out a message that the law is pathetic, 80 hours of community service and £43 costs with no compensation to pay for the thousands of pounds of damage he caused is a joke!
He could afford 14 cans of lager and enough cocaine to fuel his habit, why not get him to clean all the graffiti off that he sprayed on, in his own time.
If I had caught him spraying graffiti on my property I would chopped his king arms off!
This sends out a message that the law is pathetic, 80 hours of community service and £43 costs with no compensation to pay for the thousands of pounds of damage he caused is a joke!
He could afford 14 cans of lager and enough cocaine to fuel his habit, why not get him to clean all the graffiti off that he sprayed on, in his own time.
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