Judge blasts graffiti vandals

Manchester,England,UK

TWO graffiti artists who considered themselves "latter day Michelangelos" have been branded vandals by a judge.

The men went on an excursion to Macclesfield train station, then filmed themselves covering a train carriage with graffiti, causing thousands of pounds' damage.

University student Joseph Morris Doherty, 20, of Egerton Road North, Chorlton, and Samuel Richardson, 20, of Hancock Street, Stretford, admitted four counts of criminal damage and were told by district judge Alan Berg they were lucky to escape a jail sentence.

He told them: "You saw yourselves as latter day Michelangelos. While you may consider what you do as art, this is not right, it is vandalism of the worst sort on a huge scale. It is this type of behaviour that blights the lives of others. You were frankly on an ego trip.

"People don't want to see this graffiti, whatever you might think. It is not attractive, it is ugly.

"If you are going to produce it, do it on your own property. You have no right to do it on other people's. I can only imagine what your reaction would be if somebody came to your parents' home to do this type of thing. You would condemn it just as I am condemning what you have done."

The judge, who was sitting at Manchester magistrates' court, added: "It is a tragedy to see you two in court with relation to matters of this nature because both of you are educated and come from decent, good backgrounds and families."

The court was told the men were caught after British Transport Police mounted Operation Juggernaut in the summer last year.

The pair were part of a gang of graffiti artists called the All Out Crew.

As well as painting images on the carriage belonging to North Western Trains they also damaged Network Rail property at Whitworth Street in Manchester city centre, Regent Road in Salford and Denton railway station.

The court was told that both men had passed their GCSE examinations and that Morris Doherty had passed three A levels and was studying television production at university. Richardson had been given two cautions for similar behaviour in the past and Morris Doherty had a previous conviction for criminal damage.

The court was told they both worked part-time for an art research company.

Both were ordered to do 180 hours community service and pay £2,000 compensation for the damage.

Following the court hearing both men refused to comment on what they had done.

But acting Chief Inspector for British Transport Police, Graham Bamford, said: "We welcome the decision of the court. What these two men did was not street art, but plain criminal damage.

"When a train pulls into a platform and it is sprayed in this way it does have an impact on passengers, they don't want to travel on the train if it is covered in paint or has had the windows etched.

"This is why we are glad the courts are taking this type of thing seriously.

"We have started a campaign against graffiti and will continue building up intelligence and evidence against those responsible until we put a stop to it, once and for all."

Officers involved in keeping tabs on graffiti on rail property across Greater Manchester say there has been a marked reduction since the operation began.