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Original poster

Graffiti boys go to jail

72 replies

Lizalu · 15/09/2007 00:22

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"

OP posts:

Wisteria · 15/09/2007 14:33

kiskidee · 15/09/2007 14:34

i dont think the sentence was too harsh. they'll be out in 6 months. £13,000 worth of damage - er, it hurts rail users.

The problem is that many other sentences for other crimes, where people's life and limb and soul have been damaged, have been too soft.

hippipotami · 15/09/2007 14:48

I don't think the sentence was too harsh. They are grown men, (hopefully) able to distinguish right from wrong.

The argument 'it was not private property' does not wash. It was public property, something we all have to use/look at. Therefore it affects us all. They have shown gross disrespect by vandalising this public property!

Hopefully it will deter other graffiti artists in the future!

And as for the poster who said 'it could be your son or mine' - if my ds when aged 18 - 20 goes out and grafitti's public (or private) property he will have a lot more to worry about than jail time.
Where are the parents in all this. Sorry, but doesn't anyone these days KNOW what their dc are up to?? Have they not taught them wrong from right? Have they not raised children to respect the world around us?

SofiaAmes · 15/09/2007 15:42

Lizalu, wouldn't be one of my dc's in a million years. And if it were he/she would wish that the only punishment they got was a 12 month prison sentence.
Damaging a train is no better than damaging a house. And how do you know that they didn't do houses too. I have had my house and my car damaged and not only is it unpleasant, time consuming and expensive....it scared my ds to the point where he cried every night for weeks. Personally I think that they should be made to work to pay for the damage as well.

EscapeFrom · 15/09/2007 16:13

At 18 and 20, they are old enough to know better, and if they are on their way to university they haven't even got the excuse of being thick.

At 12 they should have been given a slapped wrist, not at 20 FFS! Ask some of the 20 year old parents here if they would do such a self absorbed and brainless thing!

I disagree with you entirely, Lizalu - being advantaged, intelligent and well adjusted enough to be active in the community and on their way to university is NOT a mitigating circumstance, it's a damn good reason for the judge to be harsh on them! They knew, in every way, that they were doing something wrong.

Being 'nice lads' does not give you free rein to act the twat. I have far mor pity for those poor sods who grow up without a clue how to behave and no intelligence to make up for it.

tiredemma · 15/09/2007 16:19

for Escapefrom.

Put eloquently into words what I was trying to trying to string together for about the past 20 mins.

Wisteria · 15/09/2007 16:49

now I don't know what I think because you all put forward such good rationale,

but I am still opposed to prison sentences for that age group, no matter what the background.

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 15/09/2007 21:19

Bump for the night shift....

southeatsastras · 15/09/2007 21:20

only read op

2 years. what a mad world we live in.

the council should employ them. they sound creative and could do some good

southeatsastras · 15/09/2007 21:22

expressing themselves through art can only be applauded couldn't it.

EscapeFrom · 15/09/2007 21:24

Like someone said - it's easy to say when it's not your house.

edam · 15/09/2007 21:27

If they were expressing themselves somewhere they weren't causing any harm, SEA. They sound like bright boys albeit behaving stupidly - I'm sure they could have done some research and found a place to work legitimately.

southeatsastras · 15/09/2007 21:30

i can see the need the youth have though to stamp their mark somewhere permanent

like we do on here

UCM · 15/09/2007 21:41

I read this at work today (can't post), but was surprised to hear your view LGJ. I thought you were of the liberal, give them a plank and let them paint it, mob

Graffitti brings down an area, so much. One of the bug bears that we continually hear about in our area from councillers & neighbourhood police is that they are trying to stop it. A few months ago, our local park had a big cricket match with another county and guess what, the boards had been graffittied, just after they had been painted for the nth time. It's not fair to people living in the area. The bridge I walk over from the train station, had vicki is a slag ever so nicely sprayed. Again, it was painted this morning, by a private company and this will be shown in next years ticket price rise. We are all paying for this crap.

I totally & utterly agree with this sentence as zero tolerance is the way forward. I agreed with prosecuting the girl with her feet on the seat on the train as well.

However, sentences are not uniform and this I do not agree with. A man downloading child porn will get a few months. The comparison is ridiculous.

So yes, it's right but put up against worst crimes I suppose it's wrong.

UCM · 15/09/2007 21:42

Oh and someone on here said that it could be my child. Well if my Son & Daughter do not know that graffittying/defacing [sp] property which doesn't belong to them by the time they are oooooooooooooooo about 7, they will deserve it.

UCM · 15/09/2007 21:44

Sorry more ranting, they were on their way to University, but didn't know that what they were doing was wrong/illegal. Well I am glad that a place wasn't wasted.

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 15/09/2007 21:46

UCM..............

I think I love you.......

southeatsastras · 15/09/2007 21:47

they're expressing themselves through art

UCM · 15/09/2007 21:53

Sea, well they could express themselves alot better by having a wank under their duvets for all I care.

It's illegal and not art unless you are on drugs. Manet, Monet et al must be twisting on their easels!

berolina · 15/09/2007 21:57

Give them a huge fine, make them pay compensation to the train company, put them to work every saturday for 6 months cleaning off graffiti. All fine by me. But prison, no.

kerala · 15/09/2007 22:26

Agree with posters that say they should have known better and deserve their sentence.

Woke up last weekend to find that some quarter wit had graffiti'ed every blank wall they could find in our quiet street. It now looks like a sort of urban jungle instead of a quiet residential street. It will surely encourage other anti social behaviour and make decent people that live here feel less safe.

How would those lads feel if I took a can of paint and chucked it over their bedroom? Why can't they graffiti their own property?

unknownrebelbang · 15/09/2007 23:18

I am NOT a slag!

(and they spelt my name wrong - again)

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