| STUDENT IN £13,000 GRAFFITI SPREE AVOIDS
JAIL 11:00 - 27 May 2004 |
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Burton also caused £393 of damage to benches belonging to Sainsbury's in Pines Way, using marker pens to leave his tag on the seats. At the rear of the TA centre, he painted a two-metre-square piece of work with spray paints. He caused £150 of graffiti damage to a fire door at the rear of Bath County Court in Henry Street with two large marker pen tags. And he caused £2,143 of damage to more than 200 lampposts across the city by attaching two-inch and four-inch-square stickers. In his defence, Simon Barnes told the court Burton was a model student, who was expected to gain four A grades next year in history, politics, English literature and media studies before heading to university. Burton is also vice-president of the college's student union and plays guitar and sings in a rock band. Mr Barnes added: "The reason for these offences is that, initially, it was a matter of recognition, socially and artistically. "He was very influenced by some of his friends involved in the graffiti scene and he thought it was a natural human thing to want such recognition. "But he realises he didn't fully think his actions through or the consequences, so there was some teenage arrogance on his part." Burton's ASBO covers a wide area, stretching from Pulteney Road to Windsor Bridge and including the Upper and Lower Bristol roads. He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to three property owners. Pc Darren Taylor, graffiti projects manager at Bath police, welcomed the court's sentence. He said: "I'm very pleased to see that the courts have deemed these offences serious enough, even with a limited history of offences, to deal with this youth in this way. "This will hopefully act as a deterrent for him and his fellow graffiti artists in the local community and nationwide." |