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Vandal Joshua Dent gets away with it

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yorkie

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http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/d...yContent&sourceNode=134828&contentPK=13863894

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A Prolific South Devon teenage graffiti yob who, police said, caused £86,000 damage has been banned from possessing spray cans and markers.

Joshua Dent, 17, from Teignmouth, has also been outlawed from railway stations - his favourite location for scrawling his eyesores. Dent was given a two-year anti social behaviour order at a hearing at Newton Abbot Magistrates Court yesterday.

The order bans Dent, of Higher Woodway Close, from entering any railway station or yard other than for the purpose of travelling on a train.

He is also banned from having anything which could be used to deface property including spray cans, markers, etching equipment, stencils and stickers.

After the hearing PC Tony O'Farrell of the British Transport Police said there had been an 18-month investigation leading up to the Asbo.

He said most of the damage was caused to trains parked outside Exeter St David's but Dent had also scrawled graffiti at Exeter Central, Newton Abbot, Dawlish and Teignmouth stations.

He said: "Dent used the tags 'midas', 'ups' - which stands for under police surveillance, and 'nks' -which means night krime specialist.

"We received intelligence which led us to discover he had caused more than £86,000 damage to Wessex trains, Network Rail and Royal Mail trains and others."

He said the damage ranged from small tags to huge pieces covering the whole side of a carriage.

He said other people were also being investigated over graffiti at railway stations.

"We are delighted that he got the Asbo. We feel he was dealt with in an appropriate way.

"It will make a big difference because he was very prolific."

Making the application on behalf of British Transport Police, prosecutor Mike Ashby said the request was unusual but the right course to take.

Mr Ashby said Dent had admitted having a peculiar obsession with railways and particularly freight wagons.

The court heard he carried it out for the buzz and excitement and the risk of getting caught.

He said: "We are dealing with a major graffiti artist who has an obsession."

Imposing the Asbo, chairman of the bench David Whitaker told Dent it was the worst case of its kind he had ever seen in 25 years of being a magistrate.

He said: "We feel we wouldn't be doing our duty to the community if we did anything other than impose an Asbo.

"We believe the facts of this case are that you behaved in a anti social manner and an order should be made so as to protect people."

He warned Dent that any breach of the Asbo could be punished with custody.

Despite objections by defence solicitor Ann Bellchamber, magistrates said they would not impose reporting restrictions on the Asbo order which would have prevented the Herald Express revealing Dent's identity because of his age.

Why has he not been forced to clean up his mess? :x
 
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Nitro

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Just another example of the government not doing their job properly. I mean they go roud saying " Vandals WILL be prosecuted " and " Vandalism is dangerous" but when they DO catch a vandal they let him/her off by being banned from spray cans. Like that ban will last more than a month <( <( :x
 

devon_metro

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I've seen some of his vandalism, it's terrible. Why do people do this.?

Planning to buy the Herald Express Yorkie? ;) Just ask :)
 

Techniquest

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This has got to be ridiculous. They've done nothing but encourage him!

"...he carried it out for the buzz and excitement and the risk of getting caught."

So surely, by telling him he can't go near a station or yard (there's another silly thing, see below) with spray cans and so forth, this is encouraging him to risk being caught again? I doubt highly the threat of custody will stop him or make him scared of being caught again?

That other silly thing:

"The order bans Dent, of Higher Woodway Close, from entering any railway station or yard other than for the purpose of travelling on a train."

Since when was entering a yard permittable except by staff and genuine visitors anyway? He can't catch a train from one, so why bother putting such a possible suggestion into it?

My preferred solution? Give him a six months jail sentence, NO reductions, issuing the 'artist' with cleaning brushes and materials to clean every single wagon, carriage, DMU, locomotive and all other railway material he has 'tagged' prior to going to jail. I would also issue strict instructions to the police, Wessex Trains and First Great Western to be extra vilgelent with this hooligan. Any misbehaviour should be reported at once, with tougher penalties involved the second time round.

Yes, this is a bit of a dream, but that's precisely what I'd do, given the powers to do it.

FGWFan, taking a stand against graffiti.
 

Mojo

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FGWFan said:
Since when was entering a yard permittable except by staff and genuine visitors anyway? He can't catch a train from one, so why bother putting such a possible suggestion into it?

Because if you or I were to enter a yard, we would probably just get a slap on the wrist, or a fine, whereas if he does it, he will recieve 2 years inprisonment.

It's interesting that many people think he should have gone to jail, for the majority of cases, a rehabilitation or restriction will remove the chance of future crime much, much more. My law teacher, a former solicitor said that he dealt with a 17-year-old over 15 years ago who was sent to a Young Offenders Institute for 6 months. Whilst this may have been what the victims wanted, he is still living a life of crime to this day, currently in jail for 5 years on an assault case. If he was offered the chance to do an apprentiship, or some form of education, there is a high chance that he would be in a job today, not bothering the Police, Judges or Magistrates ever again.
 

Techniquest

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Maybe so, but my point was that he's not allowed on a station or in a yard unless catching a train. No-one catches a train from a yard, so he shouldn't have permission to go near there anyway!

OK, so jail may be harsh. Boo-hoo, his fault for commiting the crimes he has over that long period of time. A one-time offender, that's slightly different (still not acceptable), I'd consider just giving him an ASBO then. But he's been on a bit of painting spree, tagging everything he can, for the thrill of escaping from the authorities and the risk of them getting out of their offices and finding him.

Maybe my alternative would be to have a tag on his leg, so police would know if he was going to do it again. Still, my policy for spotting trips and line bashing trips applies here, in a different context but hey:

Zero. Tolerence.
 

Mojo

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IMO a jail sentence isn't harsh, I mean "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime." But in the majority of cases with under 21s, and in a high proportion of adults, sending them to prison rather than offering rehabilitation or community service/fines actually makes them more prone to committing crimes in the future.
 

117305

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maybe he should have a tattoo on his forhead forever that would teach him and others a lesson but the pc mob would soon do something about it <(
 

taw valley

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i think your right a tatto on a
sex offender
pedo
graffity artis
GTA
muder
etc etc etc

would really make them feel stupied and even if they went and got it remvoed they wouldnt be away from it as it leave a nasty scare and plus it would have to be a back street tatto remover as all other tattoists arnt to touch them (if the law was to ever change)

could you imaging how bad he would feel with a big tatto on his head saying graffity artist in bold letter the amount of people that would look and stare at him HAHAHAHA

its great for everyone the mobs know who is ok and who is not and the people with the tattos on there heads know that the slightest thing they do wrong they get attackt or reported

LIFE COULD BE BETTER IF THE GOVERMENT WANTTED IT TO BE!!!! and when im old enought to vote and some MP has read this message and gone along with it and uplawed it im voting for him/her

*wakes up*
 

yorkie

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I don't think tatooing people is a good idea, that's very extreme. :shock:

What I think should have happened is this:

He should have to work at cleaning off graffiti for a few hours a week for several weeks.

He should be banned from all railway property (not allowed to catch a train) for a few months. Otherwise he can just pretend to be catching a train.

He should have a curfew imposed, and not be allowed out after 9pm.
 

Tom B

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yorkie said:
I don't think tatooing people is a good idea, that's very extreme. :shock:

Since such people would probarbly wear it as a symbol of pride, what would be point be?
 

Tom B

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No, but if you had bothered to read my post it said "Since such people..." rather than "Since everyone" which you appear to have read it as.

In any case what does it matter what's on your "forhead" (sic), since such a location doesn't exist?
 
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Hi, called in at Tyne Yard today just to see what was about, just i got there two young lads about 16 were standing with cameras on the bridge. Then 66015 Departed Northbound on HTA coal hoppers, the lads quickly ran down the steps and ran through a gate into the yard(trespassing) and waited for a particular HTA that was covered in graffiti and i overherd them saying "here it is" and took about 5 photographs of this hopper laughing and ran off, i think these lads have been doing a bit of "tagging" <(
 

AJP

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Was it this 'INCH' guy, He seems to have tagged 90%of coal hoppers in the north :shock: I reckon he is a Jordie myself as loads of graffiti is on railway stuff like walls in the NCL area.
 

nutter

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Maybe showing some of these crims a GRAPHIC picture of a one under (with everybody's evolved permission) will teach them how dangerous it is. On the other hand we could just :whax: the gits.
 
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Was it this 'INCH' guy

not sure if it was was too busy taking the HTA number down, but it looked too colourful for 'INCH', 'INCH' the main leader was actually caught a year or so back but was released and is still tagging the North East up <( making his name travel all around the country on HTA's, MGRs and anything else
 
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