ToXiK 'zine: March 2013

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The World Upside Down

A judge has imposed the “least possible sentence” on gang of graffiti vandals who attacked the capital's tube network, saying one had a "portfolio you would be proud of".

Keiron Cummings, 21, Alex Rowe, 22, and Billy McColl, 17, carried out "an industrial scale" three-year campaign of vandalism, targeting train and Tube carriages across the capital and causing £150,000 of damage.

They called themselves 'SMT' and caused disruption to train services by spraying their tag on carriages during the night.

After the attacks the gang members posted pictures and videos of their handiwork on the internet.

But examining a dossier of Rowe's work, Judge Henry Blacksell said while he understood public frustration at the damage caused by the vandals, he did not want to jail them.

He said: "I will pass the least possible sentence. These are young men and people care about them.

"I don't endorse it but I understand the adrenaline rush and the feeling it gives them and they may be isolated in their families.
"I don't want to be doing this and I will by as lenient as I can be. They've got talent and some of Mr Rowe's portfolio you would be proud of."
"Clearly they are talented artists," the judge added.
Prosecutor Jacques Howell told Blackfriars Crown Court how the group bragged online at the scale of their graffiti.
Cummings had a map of the capital's rail network in his bedroom pin-pointing the raids with the words 'you need all this and more' written above it.
"This was a planned and prolonged campaign of damage to property of an almost industrial scale, and caused considerable cost and disruption to London Underground and national rail services," said Ms Howell.
"It's not simply tagging with marker pens. The scale we are talking about is the entire carriage being daubed.
"The aim is obviously to get kudos amongst the graffiti community."
Cummings took pictures and videos of the group's scrawling and posted them on blogs and photo-sharing websites, prompting others to contact McColl to see if they could join in.
The trio were caught after British Transport Police officers launched an investigation to try and stop a huge increase in graffiti with the SMT tag.
They were caught three times carrying paint, face masks and gloves between January and June at stations in Northwood, Watford and Ealing before they were remanded in custody.
David McIntosh defending, said Rowe had been nominated for a Pride of Milton Keynes award for his voluntary work.
He added: "He is a young man who has a lot to contribute and could put his talents to good work and he intends to do that from now on."
The court also heard how Rowe had suffered from extreme depression as a teenager, while McColl had joined the gang as a way to 'fit in' and make friends.
But Judge Blacksell said the least possible sentence would still mean prison for the trio, and they looked at the floor as he handed them jail terms.
He said: "This is a course of conduct which is all too prevalent in our society as well as abroad and is dealt with by people who no doubt have talent.
"Sadly it's often young men who in other areas of their lives feel isolated or inadequate.
"Taking trains out of service affects people who are trying to live their ordinary lives, disrupting them in ways you probably don't understand.
"It's often said by those who carry it out that this is a victimless crime but it is not.
"It's all very unfortunate because you are young men and it's a waste of your lives."
Cummings, of Ruislip, north west London, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
Rowe, of Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Bucks, was handed nine months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
McColl, of South Ruislip, was sentenced to a six-month youth detention training order after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
Last week Judge Peter Bowers was reprimanded by the Office for Judicial Complaints after telling a burglar his crime must have taken "a huge amount of courage".

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Un juez de Londres dice que esta impresionado con las hazañas de unos escritores locales. Les a dado la sentencia menos severa posible y afirma que "deberían estar orgullosos de su trabajo" y "no lo respaldo pero entiendo el subidón de adrenalina y el sentido que les da".
En resumen el juez Peter Bowers afirma que son gente joven con talento y con la vida por delante. De todas formas con las sentencias menos severas posibles, los dos mayores de edad les a tocado 9 meses de prisión a uno y 2 años para el otro por "conspiración para cometer daño criminal". Al menor le han tocado 6 meses en un correccional de menores. Los daños al metro ascienden a 150,000 libras según el fiscal. El mismo juez también dijo que los actos de un ladrón de pisos llevaban un gran coraje.

Thanks to Max for link