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Friday 15 Jul 2005

£74,000 GRAFFITI VANDAL GETS THREE AND A HALF YEARS

Region & Route:

| Southern

One of the railway’s most prolific graffiti vandals was sentenced today at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court after a 10-year campaign targeting the railway in South West London.  Robert Lee, 23 of Kennington was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to nine charges of criminal damage.  The jury was also asked to take another 51 offences into consideration.  On his release Lee was issued with an ASBO banning him from the Railway for 5 years.  Commenting on the sentencing Superintendent Mark Newton from the British Transport Police said: “The scourge of graffiti is something that the British Transport Police and our partners in the rail industry are determined to eradicate.  This case involved a persistent offender who was captured following a BTP investigation in partnership with Network Rail and train operators.  This should be a warning to all those who deface railway property that the BTP and the rail industry are not prepared to tolerate this criminality and we will continue to do all we can to bring you to justice.” Lee was caught following a joint operation between the British Transport Police and Network Rail.  He caused £74,000 worth of damage to Network Rail property by scrawling his ‘tag’ across stations, bridges and railway equipment along the route from London Waterloo to Barnes.  On many occasions he would have had to trespass onto the railway to reach his target area crossing electrified tracks and scaling walls or fencing. Network Rail Route Director, David Pape, added: “Graffiti is an anti-social crime that affects both railway passengers and staff.  Dealing with graffiti also diverts valuable resources away from improving the railway.  Today’s sentence is welcome and we will continue to work with the British Transport Police and the rail industry to do everything we can to catch and bring to justice those responsible for this mindless vandalism.” Network Rail will shortly be launching a civil action against Robert Lee to recover the costs of cleaning up and removing his tag from Network Rail property.