Graffiti train gang jailed for eight months

Graffiti vandals who carried out a six-year £250,000 campaign against the railway including parts of Liverpool were jailed for eight months.

James Steward, 27, Jack Rodgers, 26, and Daniel Jay-Webster, 25, appeared at York Crown Court having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

The court heard how the trio, all from Wharfedale, Yorkshire were part of a graffiti ‘crew’ called NKA.

Between January 2003 and February 2009, they sprayed the ‘tags’ OGRE, HACK and TWOK onto the side of trains throughout the north of England.

Investigations by British Transport Police revealed the gang's criminal damage extended to London, Bristol, continental Europe and even the Far East and Australia.

PC Tony McGibbon, who investigated for BTP, said: "These three vandals cared little for the impact their wanton destruction would have on others and were only interested in enhancing and furthering their own reputations amongst the graffiti vandal fraternity.

"Some people argue that graffiti is art and not vandalism, but when the graffiti is written or sprayed, without permission, on private or public property then it loses any artistic credibility and becomes a criminal act."

The three vandals were arrested in February 2009 after they, along with two others, were disturbed spraying graffiti on a train in Harrogate.

Officers also traced their activities back to 2003 which included offences against Northern Rail, First Transpennine Express, Merseyrail, Midland Mainline, Virgin Trains and London Underground.

PC McGibbon added: "This case should serve as a stark warning to others who get their kicks from destroying the property of others.

"BTP takes graffiti extremely seriously and officers will use any tactics at their disposal to trace offenders and bring them to justice.

"The sentence handed out also clearly demonstrates that the wider criminal justice system recognises the damage caused by graffiti vandals and will bring strict sanctions to bear against anyone found guilty of the offences."

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