Thursday 22 December 2011

Well, I Suppose It's A New Excuse...

A prolific graffiti vandal who was sentenced last year for causing damage totalling £10,000 across Bristol has struck again – this time leaving a clean-up bill of at least £3,800 in his wake.
Well, why not, I mean, it’s not as if his last punishment was sufficient to deter him,was it?

And I bet this one won’t, either…
Jones pleaded guilty to leaving his tag "Norm" or "Nrm" on a lamppost belonging to Bristol City Council, an electricity substation belonging to Western Power Distribution, a van, a church wall, a youth centre and a railway bridge belonging to Network Rail.
And that’s not all:
Jones also pleaded guilty to producing cannabis with his friend Charlie Chittell-Gilholm, 22, at a flat they shared in Oxford Place, Easton.
Mitigation’ll be something, won’t it?
Sarah Iles, defending Jones, of King Road, Knowle, said he was struggling to stop his habit of vandalising property because he was surrounded by friends who were graffiti artists.
Oh? Is that how it works? Do we have criminality by osmosis, now?
But she said: "I'm pleased to report he's no longer in that environment any more and he's not living with friends in Easton and is now living with his grandmother in Knowle.

"His life today is a very full and constructive one and his offending his now behind him."

Ms Iles said her client was taking a music course at college.

She said: "He's a very talented individual and he's using that talent constructively and putting his past behind him.
Just how ‘talented’ and ‘creative’ is he, when all it seems he can manage is his misspelled nickname? It’s really only one step up from a dog or cat marking its territory, not the bloody ceiling of the Sistine Chapel!
"Since September, he's not used graffiti."
I think you mean he’s not committed the act of graffiti; clearly, you’re confusing it with drugs, love.

*snaps fingers*

Oh, yeah! Forgot about those! What’s this excuse going to be?
Of her client growing cannabis, she said Jones and his flat mate Chittell- Gilholm had decided to grow the Class B drug for their own use because they could not afford to buy it. She said their bid to cultivate cannabis "was not a sophisticated or successful operation".
Well, it doesn’t need to be, really, does it?
Magistrates gave Jones a 17-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and told him to abide by a 12-week curfew.
*sigh*
Magistrates agreed Jones would not be asked to pay compensation because he would be unable to pay it.
*double sigh*

10 comments:

Simon Cooke said...

So why did this kid get done but Banksy get away with "graffiti valndalism" then?

Anonymous said...

Frankly, if you've got form and still continue to sign your work you deserve to be sent off to live with your granny.

Anonymous said...

Abnormal.

O/T - Check out the Xmas police warning to all children:

"Drop the gun kid or mum gets it."

Clarissa said...

Did anyone else at first glance read the surname of his brief as 'Lies' rather than 'Iles'?

Tattyfalarr said...

"Did anyone else at first glance read the surname of his brief as 'Lies' rather than 'Iles'?"

Yes I did too.

/paging Dr Freud...

As for the compensation thing...there's definitely a gap in the market here for long-term compensation orders for as long at takes. Some kind of Criminal Debt Collection Agency who will pay a personal visit every week...shaming the bastards into the bargain...would be cool too.

Well spotted said...

Sorry, like Clarissa and Tattyfalarr I read Ms Iles as Ms Lies, too.

I make no comment on the accuracy of my observation.

Greencoat said...

'Magistrates agreed Jones would not be asked to pay compensation because he would be unable to pay it.'

Hey - how about a spot of hard labour? Let's show these bastards that HAVE got something to lose.

JuliaM said...

"So why did this kid get done but Banksy get away with "graffiti valndalism" then?"

Oh, the $65000 question!

"O/T - Check out the Xmas police warning to all children:

"Drop the gun kid or mum gets it.""


Ah, this'll be the one you meant?

"Women in Knowsley whose loved ones are believed to be involved in gun crime are receiving special Christmas cards this year.
The cards, sent by Merseyside Police and Knowsley Council, show a Christmas tree surrounded with presents on the front says, "Looking forward to a nice family Christmas?" and on the inside it says, "make sure your son is there to enjoy it too, don't let guns ruin your family's Christmas"."


I note the 'believed'. Just wait for the screaming and embarrassed back-pedalling when they get it wrong, and send it to someone innocent!

"Did anyone else at first glance read the surname of his brief as 'Lies' rather than 'Iles'?"

Yup! Freudian misreading.. ;)

JuliaM said...

"Some kind of Criminal Debt Collection Agency who will pay a personal visit every week...shaming the bastards into the bargain...would be cool too."

You can't shame someone like this into anything. They don't feel any shame!

"Hey - how about a spot of hard labour? Let's show these bastards that HAVE got something to lose."

Ooooh, no! 'elf n' safety/dignity of the prisoner/'uman rites

Take your pick... :/

Tattyfalarr said...

You can't shame someone like this into anything. They don't feel any shame!

I'm not so sure, yer know. They don't like wearing flourescent jackets with "community payback" emblazoned on the back, do they ? How would they feel about half a dozen big strapping men pulling up outside their house in a flourescent mariah...emblazoned with the words "Criminal Debt Enforcement"... every week for years on end ?
...
It's just a thought ;)