A graffiti artist whose work featured in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics has been jailed for 16 months for causing £32,000 damage to trains in the capital.
Forty-year-old Glynn Judd – known in graffiti circles by his tag Noir
– helped decorate the house danced in by Tinie Tempah during the iconic
show.
Now he will spend at least eight months behind bars after pleading guilty to 15 counts of graffiti vandalism between 2006 and 2011.
The 40-year-old, who has a young daughter, also pleaded guilty to possessing a can of CS spray, which is prohibited.
Judd’s website claims he had been in discussion with his local authority Hertsmere Borough Council to secure a grant to renovate run-down basketball courts and playgrounds in the area by painting murals.
He wrote: “I am hoping to get some funding so I can involve the local community more and get the local kids to design and apply some street art that they can be proud of.”
It also says he recently helped youngsters at Muswell Hill Baptist Church develop a wall for their common room and was working with a TV company on a street art programme.
Prosecuting, James Norman said police “gathering intelligence” had identified Glynn as the culprit behind the “Noir” tag in 2011 at “Meeting of Styles”, a graffiti exhibition and display event in London.
He said: “Essentially this defendant was a prolific and determined graffiti vandal.
“The defendant’s interest in graffiti is not strictly just illegal graffiti, he is known in graffiti subculture.
“He
was employed at the time of his arrest as a lettings manager and also
made some money from legitimate artistic activities as well.”
Mr Norman said a police search of his home in Barnet, north London, had unearthed a “graffiti kit”.
He added: “It included bolt cutters, a London Underground high visibility jacket, a notebook containing locations of where trains could be found stationary overnight and various other graffiti paraphernalia including spray cans.”
Defending, Henry Gordon said his client greatly regretted the damage he had caused and now spoke to children about the perils of getting involved in graffiti vandalism.
He said Judd was honoured to have his work featured in the opening ceremony and presented a low risk of reoffending.
Sentencing Judd at Blackfriars Crown Court, Judge John Hillen said he had to send a strong message to deter graffiti vandals.
He told Judd: “It has been said, and in my judgment wisely said, that this type of offending sickens members of the public who have their travelling lives blighted by the sort of criminal damage and vandalism by graffiti on a large scale.
“And sentences of the court must be deterrent sentences to send a message out to those who may be tempted to do this kind of act for their own gratification.
“You on your own admission have been engaging in this activity since the age of 12. That is some 28 years and I note as a youth you were drawn into this because of the prestige and recognition it brought.
“If you needed this kind of anti-social activity in order to draw attention to yourself you must have had a very sad youth indeed.”
Now he will spend at least eight months behind bars after pleading guilty to 15 counts of graffiti vandalism between 2006 and 2011.
The 40-year-old, who has a young daughter, also pleaded guilty to possessing a can of CS spray, which is prohibited.
Judd’s website claims he had been in discussion with his local authority Hertsmere Borough Council to secure a grant to renovate run-down basketball courts and playgrounds in the area by painting murals.
He wrote: “I am hoping to get some funding so I can involve the local community more and get the local kids to design and apply some street art that they can be proud of.”
It also says he recently helped youngsters at Muswell Hill Baptist Church develop a wall for their common room and was working with a TV company on a street art programme.
Prosecuting, James Norman said police “gathering intelligence” had identified Glynn as the culprit behind the “Noir” tag in 2011 at “Meeting of Styles”, a graffiti exhibition and display event in London.
He said: “Essentially this defendant was a prolific and determined graffiti vandal.
“The defendant’s interest in graffiti is not strictly just illegal graffiti, he is known in graffiti subculture.
“He
was employed at the time of his arrest as a lettings manager and also
made some money from legitimate artistic activities as well.”Mr Norman said a police search of his home in Barnet, north London, had unearthed a “graffiti kit”.
He added: “It included bolt cutters, a London Underground high visibility jacket, a notebook containing locations of where trains could be found stationary overnight and various other graffiti paraphernalia including spray cans.”
Defending, Henry Gordon said his client greatly regretted the damage he had caused and now spoke to children about the perils of getting involved in graffiti vandalism.
He said Judd was honoured to have his work featured in the opening ceremony and presented a low risk of reoffending.
Sentencing Judd at Blackfriars Crown Court, Judge John Hillen said he had to send a strong message to deter graffiti vandals.
He told Judd: “It has been said, and in my judgment wisely said, that this type of offending sickens members of the public who have their travelling lives blighted by the sort of criminal damage and vandalism by graffiti on a large scale.
“And sentences of the court must be deterrent sentences to send a message out to those who may be tempted to do this kind of act for their own gratification.
“You on your own admission have been engaging in this activity since the age of 12. That is some 28 years and I note as a youth you were drawn into this because of the prestige and recognition it brought.
“If you needed this kind of anti-social activity in order to draw attention to yourself you must have had a very sad youth indeed.”
Taken from: London Evening Standard
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