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Sentenced for graffiti damage

7:53am Thursday 7th December 2006

comment Comments (35)   Have your say »


A "PROLIFIC graffiti vandal" has been jailed for a year and slapped with an Asbo after causing more than £22,000 damage to trains.

James Lyons, of Reigate Road, Bromley, pleaded not guilty but was convicted of two counts of criminal damage at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court last Friday.

This followed a lengthy police investigation which included handwriting analysis and forensics.

The 19-year-old, who was a member of graffiti vandal gang the IWS Crew, had denied breaking into the Grove Park railway depot and scrawling his "Sloe" tag on trains in February and June last year.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Donna Fox, from the British Transport Police, said: "Lyons is a prolific graffiti vandal.

"The court has recognised only a custodial sentence could curtail his vandalism and highly anti-social behaviour.

"Police welcome this sentence, and hope it provides a deterrent to others."

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sam, says...
1:58pm Thu 7 Dec 06

lol - look at his mugshot - looks like a right pratt!

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Jonson, says...
8:14pm Thu 7 Dec 06

I'm glad he's gone to prison! Lets hope this is a wakeup call to all his vandal chums.

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JR, says...
9:41pm Thu 7 Dec 06

Don;t he think he is a hard nut -!! What's with the face???

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american, says...
9:51pm Thu 7 Dec 06

is this a huge problem in the UK? i agree graffitti is vandalism but alot of it is just art! I think it looks cool and brings dull things to life. one year jail seems kind of dramatic. although its not that big of a problem over here.

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j, says...
10:34pm Thu 7 Dec 06

i think it takes the ****,a year in prison when you can rape some one and get about the same time!

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Jim S, says...
4:38am Fri 8 Dec 06

Can I spray something suitable over Americans property? Anti-social runts like this need locking up. More of the same please. More prisons for all law breakers and a proper deterant for all crime. Otherwise people will just have to knock the Shinola out of the Psuedo tough plonkers like Mr Lyons.

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Jill, says...
10:15am Fri 8 Dec 06

I know he's technically a vandal and I haven't seen his work but I believe that a lot of these types of work could be from frustrated artists. Some of it can be very beautiful and maybe if it was encouraged more as an artform then this lad wouldn't be in this predicament!

I find it hard to believe that he should have gone to prison for a year with murderer's, rapists and such like when paedophiles can get the same sentence. There is something seriously unbalanced about the scales of justice at the moment! I reckon a lot of these judges are perverts themselves and that's why paedo's do get such lenient sentences.

James may come out of there a worse person than when he went in.

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neek terroriser, says...
2:29pm Fri 8 Dec 06

ha 1 down millions 2 go more of us duin trainz as we speek so shuuuuuuuuuuut hut bya mout 3 sloe 3 soka 3 kros 3 kuet 3 hermz

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Me, says...
2:41pm Fri 8 Dec 06

He Aint Hurtin No1 Just Doing Saink He Loves. FREE SLOE BABEY XX

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**** btp, says...
2:43pm Fri 8 Dec 06

all dese funny coments u wud keep 2 ur self if was a face 2 face matter shook lil kidz at home on ur pcs coz u wudnt speek up 4 urself at skool 1 kid jailed so wen u jailing da over millions of us ur neva stopin da culutre **** btp ,balfour beaty, the metropoltin speekin 4 every write 3slow 3soka 3kros 3kuet 3hermz 3wax an so on...

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mt, says...
2:52pm Fri 8 Dec 06

Is there an interpreter about ?
the last 3 posters have their future sorted, maybe in films, if there's a follow up to "dumb and dumber"

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Me, says...
3:05pm Fri 8 Dec 06

FREEJAMESLYONS

GONA MISS YOO SO MUCH
SEE YOU SOON SLOE
XXXXXXXX
3SLOE

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sil, says...
4:18pm Fri 8 Dec 06

God help us when they start to breed

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AL, says...
9:38pm Fri 8 Dec 06

In response to Jill - please tell me you are joking! He'll serve about half of that time which is a joke, should be double. He is every bit a criminal as much as any robber and burglar (remember they broke into private property to inflict their scrawl on us tax payers) and I hope he realises he is a silly little boy wasting his life when he's inside. He is a prime example of why this country needs to get tough on wasters like him who bring nothing to the community - he probably used his benefit money to buy his spray paint!!! Well done to the courts, shame he had to be a PROLIFIC graffitti vandal before he went away for it.

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scanner, says...
4:21pm Sat 9 Dec 06

Sloe? I guess that's this punks' brain reaction speed.(If he's got one!

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Lee, says...
12:52am Tue 12 Dec 06

Glad I left London, Seems like his supporters can't even string a sentence together, Maybe spending more time at school and less time destroying property would help you to be understood by the real world. Trying to sound hard on email is pretty pathetic.

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h, says...
2:01am Tue 12 Dec 06

So he might think hes a bit invincible and put on a brave/stupid face but no one deserves a year in jail for 2 acts of criminal damage the cost of which seems to have been plucked out the air. Inside he may get beaten up or worse and come out a worse person like someone said, there must be more relevant punishments for crimes(eg. realistic fine, cleaning graffiti, tagged curfews, etc.). British prisons are a state and throwing kids who have changed the colour of a train in them with serious criminals (who could be doing shorter sentences!)is a joke. They are products of a society with underlying problems which should be addressed instead, and come from all walks of life (the benefits comment was rather childish!). Scapegoating them is a very cynical and harmful move. Mr Blair's war on antisocial behaviour is just tackling the tip of the iceberg but no politician will probably have the balls to do any different.
Kids these days are talented and have enthusiasm but need guidance and opportunity not jailtime. A shame,
just my thoughts.

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CJE, says...
8:23am Tue 12 Dec 06

Democracy appears to tell its own story. 4 out of every 5 want people like Mr Lyons locked up. Basic stuff, the real figure would be much higher, but I expect his chums are voting the other way. Would that be chads or chavs? Zero tollerance, lets hope the courts keep up the good work. Good result for the police also, there is some hope for society. Afraid I dont agree H, too looney left and rewarding for my taste. Tony Blair cant baby sit, guidance starts at home. You cant blame the government for not handing things on a plate. Get your head down and do some graft, it doesn't hurt. Saves idle hands smashing up youth clubs and wrecking public infra-structure.

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Dave, says...
10:06am Tue 12 Dec 06

Unbelievable!!! Take one look at the lad and you can see he really does think himself special, in response to the comment further below...I would happily say it to your face, shame the majority of vandals like yourself are to busy hiding behind your hoodies and using large groups to intimidate people who have some respect for your area

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Laugh Out Loud, says...
3:53pm Tue 12 Dec 06

I'll bet his parents are so pround...do you think they have that picture on the mantlepiece?

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IWS MEMBER =), says...
12:14am Thu 14 Dec 06

....FREE MY BOI SLOE IWS.... PEACE OUT SLOERDEE SEE U IN 6 MONTHS MAUWWW

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Matt, says...
12:18pm Mon 18 Dec 06

I am a 17 year old boy living in bromley and i felt it necessary to comment this article since I believe it is unfair for an occurance like this to allow for the 'socially perfect' to pass judgement and condemn a child who was simply mislead by present day society. Since I live in Bromley I know there is nothing for the youth to do. The skatepark behind urban chaos in Bromley south was demolished because the police believed it a 'trouble magnet', now youths spend their time either going to clubs using fake id's or graffiting (because it is too dangerous to even sit in a park now days without someone trying to attack you). Now in my opinion the majority of the comments left here are by adults, these same adults pay taxes and vote for the governement and Bromley's local council, so if you complain about 'anti-social' behaviour why don't you get something back from the council and get them to start tackiling it instead of being typically english; letting it continue and just moaning about it. That is just my opinion, but i hope James does get out earlier so he can have another attempt at life.

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aigh!, says...
2:15pm Thu 21 Dec 06

You think this will stop us? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

We all risk our lives every night walkin tracksides, climbing over razor wire fences, hanging off bridges over motorways and railway lines. ASBO's, Jail time, BTP etc.. It's all in a days work for a vandal.

Keep praising your local policeforce for cracking down so sufficiantly on these youths who are just expressing themselves, whilst the real crime grows evermore untouchable. YeePee another vandal prison, look longingly forward to the day when your journey to work will be accompanied by dull black and brown walls all the way down every trackside WOOOPPEEE what a liberal experionless worlid that will be, but i suppose as long as we have advertising companies payin for the right to put their names in fifty foot letter across streets and tracks thats fine cos they have paid for that previlage.

For every writer that goes down, another 3 are stepping into there shoes. For every crew that fades into the limelight another one is growing.

Keep smiling tho, as long as the media keeps reporting the odd one is going to prison maybe you can sleep easier at night.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

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sarah H, says...
4:33pm Thu 21 Dec 06

to the above, ur a joke mate. stop talking like a complete pratt & get a job u low life! your boring the **** out of me & many other people. shame u didnt get ran over on the tracks!! 1 less scumbag down! how about if someoone sprayed all over your house walls? yeah im sure ud like that!!

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aigh!, says...
2:05am today Sat 23 Dec 06

In reply thanks for the mature insults, water off a ducks back mate. As for me I do actually have a job, i'd place a fair bet a much higher paid one than yourself. The real giggles comes from the fact that should you see me on the street you'd have no idea! You may even like me, little do people know the ultaego's some people have (isn't it always the quiet ones?).

Anyway no ill wishes aimed your way not during this special season, merry xmas mate.
LONG LIVE THE PAINT VILLAN

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Educated Writer, says...
11:12am Sun 24 Dec 06

Have to say im with Aigh! on this. There is a great misconception that graffiti vandals are mindless, uneducated, poor and general dregs on society.
Whilst I'm not saying the man in question does not fall into any of those categories, there are hundreds of thousands of illegal/legal writers across the globe. Many are city slickers, talented musicians and so on etc etc.
To pass judgement on graffiti in general based on one article you have seen in the local rag is very naive.
Graffiti wil live no matter what, sure people go to prison for it, sure people steal in order to participate in it but everyone has their own identity and their own reasons for writing grafiti.
May I wish all of you who dislike graffiti a Merry Fishmas.
Lots of Love from.........

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kje, says...
6:35pm Mon 15 Jan 07

Jill wrote:
I know he\\\'s technically a vandal and I haven\\\'t seen his work but I believe that a lot of these types of work could be from frustrated artists. Some of it can be very beautiful and maybe if it was encouraged more as an artform then this lad wouldn\\\'t be in this predicament! I find it hard to believe that he should have gone to prison for a year with murderer\\\'s, rapists and such like when paedophiles can get the same sentence. There is something seriously unbalanced about the scales of justice at the moment! I reckon a lot of these judges are perverts themselves and that\\\'s why paedo\\\'s do get such lenient sentences. James may come out of there a worse person than when he went in.
i agree with jill. i am james (jaymes)girlfriend and whilst at court supporting my young man we saw a paedophile get away with a suspended sentance, what a joke and my jayme gets put away for a year for graffiti! the courts did not take into consideration that jayme had not been involved in graffiti for over a year and is now a young man trying to get somewhere in life. they just threw him in there to try to deter others but guess what is wont work as youve read above. jayme has now had his name scrawled all over london by people who dont even know him. jayme is not a master mind criminal he was just a young talented boy with nothing better to do and no other way to express himself, it was wrong but no ones perfect at least hes learned from his mistakes, to the old stuck up ignorant gits i bet your kids are out doin the same or even worse **** behind your back, so dont judge until you know the full story. anyway he'll be out in march ready to get on with his life. ha! ha!

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3 SLOE, says...
4:50pm Wed 24 Jan 07

3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE 3 SLOE

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cash, brixton says...
2:54pm Sun 18 Feb 07

three sloe now art is not a crime soe stop crying youll never stop graffiti you peanuts wun it up i wont stop

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Bait, camden says...
2:21am Fri 23 Feb 07

yoo free muvafukkin sloe ... ya see this mans a true artist why you locking people up for doin artt ITS NOT A CRIMEE!!! stopp cryy kuntss !! TAGGINGG UNDERGROUND STATIONSS T*U*S

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Sum 1 who knows him well, says...
12:53am Thu 10 May 07

i think its a joke he is just a talented bou who done no harm to no 1 he aint killing people his expressing what he's good at and he done a **** good job of it aswell u are never going to control the youth of today not by doing this why dont they use there heads why not have some respect he put alot of time and effort and ASwell money were u think they get the paint from????? they buy it and they put there time and effort to make a best job as they can its better than so called scribble dnt u think what if it was just scribble all over london then what would u say? well 3 SLOE 3 them all and make rooms for all these peados and mass murderers !!

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interested individual, says...
10:32am Fri 8 Jun 07

has this young man been freed yet to get on with his life?.. sending someone to prison for graffiti is disgraceful, most graffiti artists arent yobs, they are just people who get into a subculture that is very addictive and very hard to quit

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btrae-kore, london says...
2:27pm Thu 14 Jun 07

3 sloe. he iz fukin sik. he looks fresh but his work round lewisham iz crazy good.we graf 2 come and get us **** feds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!

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sloe, Reigate Road Bromley says...
5:51pm Sun 25 Nov 07

hi there people you lot are so **** sad why are you debating about my life havent you got one your self so what i liked to graff in my spare time and what! graffiti will never stop....oww yea and i fell that the law system is **** **** in this country and i mean that aswel.. and top be honest with you jail was a peice of **** its like a holiday camp the goverment only want to send people to prison because they earn money off of it.. i meet people in prison for much worse crimes eg: burglary and he got 3 months hahaha now that takes the **** drug dealers had the same time as me and thats cocaine dealers aswell any way i dont give a **** what you people think of me you dont know me and for the people who where bad mouthing me my email is there send me a email and if you wanna make an issue bring it u wankers... **** jail **** the goverment .......

the systems kurupt

i wont stop

TBRKS


MRSLOERDEE@HOTMAIL.C
OM

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joe, mottingham says...
2:17pm Tue 1 Apr 08

Yes Sloe Your Jokes Boy .... Kool ..JoE BoY

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Comments are closed on this article.

James Lyons has been jailed for one year and given an Asbo James Lyons has been jailed for one year and given an Asbo

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