London Underground Graffiti "artists" convicted and sentenced.

[Wolfie]

Four men who travelled from Spain specifically to graffiti rolling stock in two different London Underground depots have been convicted and sentenced.

https://www.btp.police.uk/news/btp/news/in-the-courts/men-who-travelled-to-uk-to-graffiti-trains-sentenced--london/

Four men who are believed to have travelled to the UK from Spain to graffiti London Underground trains have been sentenced, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Asier Dorado-Alosete, 21, (17/11/2004), Javier Martinez-Lopez, 30, (9/7/1996), Juan Palomino Andres-Cabanas, 22, (16/9/2003), and Galo Adrian Romero-Valle, 21 (6/11/2004), all from Spain, appeared at Higbury Magistrates' Court on Saturday 11 July charged with Criminal Damage, Having Articles with Intent to Cause Damage, and Trespass on the Railway.

All four men were handed five-year Criminal Behaviour Orders and fined £187, while Romero-Valle and Andres-Cabanas were additionally ordered to pay £972 in compensation to Transport for London (TfL).

Martinez-Lopez and Romero-Valle were additionally sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, while Dorado-Alosete and Andres-Cabanas were sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 12 months.

 

[Turtle]

Four men who travelled from Spain specifically to graffiti rolling stock in two different London Underground depots have been convicted and sentenced.

https://www.btp.police.uk/news/btp/news/in-the-courts/men-who-travelled-to-uk-to-graffiti-trains-sentenced--london/

Very good news.

 

[Wolfie]

Very good news.

Says it all that these morons travel internationally to graffiti trains. My only complaint is the relative lightness of the sentence.

 

[Watershed]

Says it all that these morons travel internationally to graffiti trains. My only complaint is the relative lightness of the sentence.

Agreed - no way should it have been suspended. They're not likely to be coming back to Britain anytime soon so it's not like having a suspended sentence 'over their head' is a particular threat to them.

 

[Mr. SW]

I wonder sometimes about these people. If you find yourself over the age of 21 with a compulsion to write things on the sides of trains, you really need consider the direction your life is taking.

 

[AlterEgo]

No point sending graffiti artists to jail, really. However the paedophile (read the article) ought to have faced more serious punishment.

 

[Wolfie]

No point sending graffiti artists to jail, really. However the paedophile (read the article) ought to have faced more serious punishment.

I know that the BTP focus was the criminal damage but the dodgy photo was definitely glossed over.

Not sure that l agree with your first sentence. A few salutary prison sentences might well dissuade others.

 

[Pegpilot]

As an early LUL anti-graffiti bod (1990s), it sounds like this was well handled by those on the ground. Detected, apprehended, job done - the rest is down to CPS. But the article also highlights the vulnerability of outstabling points like Barnet and Amersham.

 

[Wolfie]

As an early LUL anti-graffiti bod (1990s), it sounds like this was well handled by those on the ground. Detected, apprehended, job done - the rest is down to CPS. But the article also highlights the vulnerability of outstabling points like Barnet and Amersham.

TY for the former insider insight.

 

[mrmartin]

Suspended sentences are actually a pretty serious punishment, albeit less important when they live abroad (but I don't think the sentencing guidelines take into account their residency).

Still completely lost why BTP can't arrest some of the domestic people involved. A tiny amount of people are responsible for so much of it and many of them are already known to police.

 

[contrex]

I wonder sometimes about these people. If you find yourself over the age of 21 with a compulsion to write things on the sides of trains, you really need consider the direction your life is taking.

They think they are 'artists', don't they? They are a plague on the area of Bristol I live in. There is a picturesque road tunnel near Narroways that is awful for me when they are, or have been recently, spraying (often multiple parties with v. loud boom boxes and step-ladders). The paint fumes set off my asthma.

 

[Gareth1990]

No point sending graffiti artists to jail, really. However the paedophile (read the article) ought to have faced more serious punishment.

I find the fact one of them is a nonce far more concerning than any graffiti conviction, hopefully he is immediately deported on release

 

[jon0844]

I wonder sometimes about these people. If you find yourself over the age of 21 with a compulsion to write things on the sides of trains, you really need consider the direction your life is taking.

You can become famous by doing it. Social media makes it possible to reach a huge audience and gain 'fame'. Look at the people now pranking for a comfortable living (at least until they get jailed because they go too far) and travelling the world for content.

There are platforms that encourage this sort of content, despite the actions in the video usually breaking numerous laws, and so it is only going to get worse in my opinion.

Another growing trend is urban exploring, which started more as a group of people going into old derelict buildings to look around and now includes people going into commercial premises, climbing on buildings and generally making a nuisance of themselves - but they get followers and they get people asking them to go 'explore' specific places for their next challenges.