Pleads guilty to graffiti spree across the town

A 19-year-old man who went on a graffiti writing spree in Lurgan pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal damage at Craigavon Magistrates Court last Wednesday.
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Paul Kelly from Carrigart Crescent, Craigavon was spotted by police at the sanger of Lurgan police station writing on a building in North St on September 1, 2012.

The court heard that police spotted him again on CCTV writing on other property.

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Police stopped him in Charles St and the court heard he was ‘intoxicated’.

He had thrown away the marker and when confronted by police, he said: “I don’t care. Have you no real work?”

Police took photographs of the graffiti which was on various homes and businesses in Lurgan including St Peter’s Parochial Hall and the railway barrier at William St.

The court also heard that an invoice of £360 had been received from Craigavon Borough Council for cleaning the graffiti off the buildings.

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Kelly’s solicitor, Mr Gabriel Ingram said his client was ‘very drunk’ and it had come into his head that this would be a good idea and set out on a spree around Lurgan.

Mr Ingram said his client was only 17 at the time and is a ‘completely different person now’.

He added that since the incident his father had passed away and he is now a ‘more sober and sensible person’.

“It was a one-off spree and he does apologise,” said Mr Ingram.

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Judge Mervyn Bates said he had looked at the photographs and had found it very difficult to read what the defendant had written.

“Where one can read it, it is somewhat unpleasant,” said Judge Bates.

The judge asked for pre-sentence reports and will be sentencing Kelly on June 18.