Prolific Sussex graffiti vandals jailed (From The Argus)
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Prolific Sussex graffiti vandals jailed
3:50pm Friday 12th March 2010 in
They vandalised homes, cars, a children’s nursery, a hospital, signs and shop windows.
But now two of the most prolific graffiti yobs in Sussex, responsible for more than £34,000 of damage, are behind bars.
Richard Markwick 19, and Matthew Fowler, 32, left their "tags" across Brighton and Hove and also targeted the railway line between the city and Lancing, where they live.
Police and council officers logged nearly 250 tags left by the pair.
Armed with spray paint and permanent marker pens they vandalised anything from homes, charity shops to parking meters, even targeting a children's nursery and also a lift at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
They sprayed property at railway stations, along the tracks and inside the tunnels.
They also left their marks while travelling on trains, including on seats, doors and toilets.
As well as paint, they sometimes scratched their tags with etching equipment.
At Lewes Crown Court Markwick, who used the tag Syloe, admitted 15 charges of criminal damage and asked for 11 other offences to be taken into consideration. He was sent to a young offenders’ institution for 15 months.
Fowler, who used the name Posh, admitted nine charges and was jailed for 18 months.
They were both made the subject of a three-year Asbo banning them from carrying paint, marker pens or etching equipment, in public unless for work or educational reasons.
Judge Guy Anthony told the pair there was no artistic merit in their tags and the offences they committed were antisocial and upset the public.
He described their behaviour as "mindless vandalism" and said their offences were not without victims as the public had to pay to clear up the damage.
The court was told the men's "art" cost thousands of pounds to clear up in the past three years. British Transport Police estimate the cost to the railways was at least £25,000, including almost £9,000 for a six-mile stretch of track between Lancing and Worthing.
The cost of the damage in Brighton and Hove and Lancing is more than £8,000.
Both men have previous convictions for graffiti offences. Last August Fowler was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail after admitting nine charges.
They were arrested together in March last year at the one-bedroom flat their shared in Warren Court, Sompting Road, Lancing. Police found cans of spray paint and a collection of marker pens. The walls of the flat were covered in graffiti "art."
They were released on bail but because they continued to tag they were arrested again in September and remanded in custody until they were sentenced.
Comments(23)
UglyAmerican
says...
4:36pm Fri 12 Mar 10
anonymous coward
says...
4:40pm Fri 12 Mar 10
jyan
says...
4:42pm Fri 12 Mar 10
BringBackGoodGrammar
says...
4:58pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Number Six
says...
5:04pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Number Six
says...
5:04pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Number Six
says...
5:04pm Fri 12 Mar 10
yorkie44
says...
5:19pm Fri 12 Mar 10
jyan wrote:This is just what I was thinking!
If they like their 'tags' so much they should be branded with them with hot irons on their faces.
jay316
says...
6:12pm Fri 12 Mar 10
This has to be the funniest thing I have read in ages... Banned from carrying unless for educational purposes..
"They were both made the subject of a three-year Asbo banning them from carrying paint, marker pens or etching equipment, in public unless for work or educational reasons. "
TheInsider
says...
7:23pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Do they have a learning disability?
And how on earth do these big babies ever get laid by women? They are weird and ridiculous.
Show us what they look like Argus. I want to see a 32 year old big baby.
VoiceofUnreason
says...
8:05pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Luke72
says...
9:30pm Fri 12 Mar 10
hove snapper
says...
9:41pm Fri 12 Mar 10
pperrin
says...
11:52pm Fri 12 Mar 10
If these guys are locked up then who has been let out early, or not sent to prison at all?
Messy paint on an inanimate object may not be to everyone's taste - but on its own it should not be an imprison-able offences.
kkj
says...
12:27am Sat 13 Mar 10
pperrin wrote:Both men have prwevious convictions. The slaps on the wrist haven't worked. Hopefully a few months inside will give them time to consider what immature imbeciles thay have been.
Graffiti may not be popular, but I thought our prisons and young offenders institutes were bursting at the seams. If these guys are locked up then who has been let out early, or not sent to prison at all? Messy paint on an inanimate object may not be to everyone's taste - but on its own it should not be an imprison-able offences.
ade1200
says...
2:05am Sat 13 Mar 10
Number Six wrote:I thought the same, bit sad really. Its not like there is nothing to do in Brighton for a 32 year old...
Isn't 32 a bit old for childlike scribbling?
another village idiot
says...
8:28am Sat 13 Mar 10
keeshond8
says...
4:18pm Sat 13 Mar 10
TheInsider wrote:Seeing a photo on TV of this dead eyed pair, one 19 and the other 32 years old who shared a bedroom, leads one to wonder other interests they shared. They must have stunk and look like inarticulate nonentities whose disability is that they will never learn to consider others.
19 and 32 and behaving like six years olds.
Do they have a learning disability?
And how on earth do these big babies ever get laid by women? They are weird and ridiculous.
Show us what they look like Argus. I want to see a 32 year old big baby.
pperrin
says...
4:30pm Sat 13 Mar 10
ade1200 wrote:But how many of those things are more anti-social and how many are less ?
Number Six wrote:I thought the same, bit sad really. Its not like there is nothing to do in Brighton for a 32 year old...
Isn't 32 a bit old for childlike scribbling?
I can't see prison making any difference, it is hugely expensive and we are short of space for people who are a real threat to other people...
The worst thing (from what I have read here) was risking the traumatising of innocent train drivers who might have hit them.
pperrin
says...
4:33pm Sat 13 Mar 10
pperrin wrote:oops... I'll withdraw what I have said above.
ade1200 wrote:But how many of those things are more anti-social and how many are less ?
Number Six wrote:I thought the same, bit sad really. Its not like there is nothing to do in Brighton for a 32 year old...
Isn't 32 a bit old for childlike scribbling?
I can't see prison making any difference, it is hugely expensive and we are short of space for people who are a real threat to other people...
The worst thing (from what I have read here) was risking the traumatising of innocent train drivers who might have hit them.
I was commenting on the summary, I had missed the full story (which I have just read).
The summary covered graffitti around train tracks, not all over cars and shop windows etc.
keeshond8
says...
4:54pm Sat 13 Mar 10
brighdan
says...
10:39am Fri 19 Mar 10
BringBackGoodGrammar wrote:It says Posh.
is the photo either of these two lads' tag? I am trying to make out Syloe, or Posh...but cant seem to.
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sussexone says...
4:04pm Fri 12 Mar 10