Graffiti boys go to jail

[Lizalu]

Two boys aged 18 and 20 sentenced to two years in prison for painting a train.
OK they caused criminal damage but two years and a lot of money to prosecute them just seems silly. The trains still need cleaning and these lads were on thier way to university. They were also active in the community.They should have made them clean the trains or something similar. "Have a look here"

Excellent............. Pound to a penny they won't do it again.......

MORE than 500 people have joined an online campaign launched in protest over the jailing of a pair of young graffiti artists.

It's hoped the campaign will provide a boost for Thomas 'TJ' Dolan, 20, and Thomas Whittaker, 18, who were sent to prison last week by a Manchester Crown Court judge.

TJ is currently being treated for stress in a prison hospital.

The pair admitted causing around £13,000 worth of damage to trains, bridges and railway property across the North West.

TJ Dolan, was sentenced to 15 months behind bars and Whittaker, of Brocklehurst Avenue, Macclesfield, was jailed for one year.

Neither the boys, who expected lengthy ASBOs, nor their parents and the community thought they would be sent to prison.

Bet that surprised them.

maybe its about time the courts actually sent everyone who breaks the law to prison.. it would stop all the small crimes (though this was £13,000 of damage)

So you think prison works. These were basically good lads who went slighty astray and didn't hurt anyone. Surely a community order would see them right. "have a look at this"

would you say that if it was your house they 'painted? I wouldn't..

A short sharp shock will do them no harm at all. What are we the public supposed to do.........................buy them an easel ????

though it does seem harsh, especially when rapists and thugs are walking free, I don't agree with the length of the sentances but agree with prison

SGK

I bloody love you.

Have been made feel shoite on MSN, but you have made me .

Much love .................

Sparkly - It wasn't a house they painted, they haven't harmed anyone.

They caused £13,000 of damage, people have to clean it off, which cost money, just becuase it was an object doesn't make it right, sorry.

LGJ. Anyway would love to argue this out, but my bed is calling me.

In Manchester the feeling is that the sentance is too harsh compared to other sentances handed out. I thought mumsnet might empathise with these boys?? Could easily be one of your own dcs.

I agree that the sentances are too harsh, a month or 2 would be enough.

That is the feeling - they have got prison time. There must be a more suitable punishment. I started this topic because I think they should be let out of prison.

Some might say it's not necessarily this sentence that is too harsh, but others that may be too lenient.

I actually don't think prison, in it's current format, is the best place for these two young men, but £13,000 is a lot of damage and if they had walked from court there is a strong possibility that they would have continued offending.

I'm guessing that they will appeal and they may be successful, and receive an unpaid work order. If this happens, having had the shock of their lives, a few days/weeks in prison be far more effective in stopping them from offending again.

More than £13000 was spent bringing the case to court. Have you read about the voluntary work he did in Gorton.

Are you suggesting that they shouldn't have been bought to court because of the cost of the case?

Doing good deeds does exempt people from court proceedings when they commit offences.

ahem

does NOT exempt...

Lizalu

It would not be one of my children, my DS is only 6, but I live in an area where the parents talk to each other and
parents make it their business to know where their children are.

And they were 18 and 20 FGS, not 12 and 13

Your taxes and mine are used to clean up graffiti, it is unacceptable.

Two years does seem excessive considering Chris Langham got ten months for downloading and viewing images of children being tortured by abusers. Where on earth are the courts' priorities?

This country always seems to punish crimes against property more harshly than crimes against people. Plenty of wife beaters and violent thugs have got much shorter sentences than this.

They did something wrong. Are both old enough to KNOW it was wrong. Got caught. Got punished. That's as it should be.

Sentence may be long in comparison to more serious crimes though. Possibly a month in prison and then if they like painting so much maybe community service painting buildings, hospitals or schools.

I think thats beautiful what they did to the train.

Its not like they wrote

'Brian is a titw*nk' or something

thats more art than graffiti to me.

BUT its illegal- and where do you draw the line?

Sentance is ridiculous.

Rapists get less

I don't think that the "It's too harsh, look, X only got for , so Y should have got even less of a punishment..." is the right way round, tbh.

Plainly it means X got too lenient a sentence, not that Y needs a lesser sentence than X. I don't agree that some sentences should be lowered to bring them below others!

There have to be consequences, deterents, RULES!! People can't just do what they like and then complain about what happens to them as a result.

The problem is that people are really starting to feel that they can do whatever the hell they like and any punishment or attempt to deter is a breech of their £"$%"@@£$ rights.

I think people should stop bleating on about stress and strain and my human right to punch you in the face, and start acting like CIVILISED BEINGS.

Millions of years of evolution to get here. Pah.

The sentence was 15 months for one, and 12 months for the other one.