Graffiti gang ‘scarred Liverpool’ with ?2m worth of vandalism

A graffiti gang carried out a "widespread and sophisticated" conspiracy to damage buildings, property and trains in Liverpool and across the country - causing more than £2million worth of damage.

The gang - one of whom boasts a first class degree in fine art - would steal Network Rail uniforms to disguise themselves as they trespassed onto railways and tagged trains and rolling stock in Liverpool and around the country. They also carried out millions of pounds worth of damage in the city itself.

The damage in Liverpool was done at a number of prominent and listed buildings, including the city's court building, at railway stations and at children's play areas. They also targeted the Marina Dalglish Cancer Centre.

Some members of the gang would act as lookouts while the others sprayed a range of graffiti tags on property, with their work then uploaded to Youtube and Instagram and shared with graffiti magazines. Several members of the gang were said to be part of the so-called "EGA Crew."

The conspiracy also took on an international element, with visitors from France and Germany joining in the well organised graffiti missions.

The group, largely from Merseyside but including members from London, defaced buildings, vehicles and structures on an industrial scale between September 2017 and July 2021.

On one occasion some of the members walked down Bold Street in the city centre with a diamond cutter and cut names into the windows on the Tesco shop.

The crew were eventually brought down by the city's biggest ever anti-graffiti investigation, dubbed Operation Doodle. That operation saw Liverpool City Council join forces with British Transport Police, Merseyside Police, Network Rail and Merseyrail to snare the members of the graffiti gang and bring them to justice.

Liverpool City Council estimates that more than £1 million worth of damage was committed in the city alone. Council chiefs said the "mindless vandalism" has "scarred the city" and that the damage will take years to remove.

Network Rail have evidenced the cost of graffiti and and trespass over a three year period to have amounted to just shy of £1 million. Vandalism on the Merseyrail network alone cost Network Rail £344,000 in the 2018/19 financial year, £307,000 in 2019/20 and £322,000 in 2020/21.

The court heard that there was clear evidence of the group showcasing and "glorifying" their work through social media platforms after photographing their "tags" and concealing their identity.

In total eight men were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, although two men have already been jailed as part of an overlapping graffiti conspiracy.

Those jailed previously were 30-year-old Kyle Smith of Ribble Street in Wirral^[3] and 32-year-old Aiden Williams of Cleveland Street, Birkenhead^[4] who received jail terms of 42-months and 36-months respectively after being convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and a host of breaches of criminal behaviour orders.

Those in court today included 32-year-old Jack Lowry of Rostherne Avenue in Wallasey^[5]. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage as well as class B drugs offences and received a sentence of 18 months in jail, suspended for 18 months. He will also have to carry out a 25-day rehabilitation order and 200 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard Lowry was involved with five incidents of criminal damage and encouraged a German national and two French nationals to be involved. When police searched his house they found a Merseyrail uniform.

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Michael Martin, 27, of Bold Street in Liverpool was also sentences as part of the criminal damage conspiracy along with Class B drug offences and received a jail term of 15 months, suspended for 18 months with a 10-day rehabilitation order and 200 hours of unpaid work. The court heard how Martin has a first class degree in fine arts and now "feels sick" thinking about his previous crimes.

Father-of-two Daniel Rooney, 34 of Upper Stanhope Street was convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and of being concerned in the supply of cannabis. He received a sentence of 17 months, suspended for 18 months and must complete five rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work. The court heard that he was involved with 10 incidents of criminal damage including tagging rolling stock and street furniture.

Sami Al-Zinati, 34-years-old of Mindale Road in Liverpool was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months and will have to carry out 20 days of rehabilitation work and 200 hours of unpaid work. The court heard he was involved with three incidents while damage was done to a train.

Felix Pearson, 29, of Peacock Street in London was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months and was hit with a 10-day rehabilitation order and 100 hours of unpaid work. The court heard that he was involved with one incident of tagging railway rolling stock but that he is now excelling in his new work role.

Joshua Maguire, 27, of Holly Fold in Whitefield, Manchester, was handed a sentence of 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months as well as a 20-day rehabilitation order and 200 hours of unpaid work. The court heard his preferred "Kwas" tag was deployed at city centre businesses including Raggas and Red Dog Saloon.

Adam Metcalfe, aged 33, of Church Road, Tranmere was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for 18 months and handed a 20 day rehabilitation order. Metcalfe was also handed an electronic curfew for 6 months, meaning he cannot leave his home address between 8pm and 6am during that period.

Charlie O'Brien, aged 27 of Browning Avenue in Worcester Park, Sutton was sentenced to 8 months, suspended for 18 months with a 20 day rehabilitation order and 100 hours of unpaid work for his role in the criminal damage conspiracy.

George Dimech, 30, of Canterbury House, London, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage . He was not at court today and will be sentenced on December 11.

Sentencing today Judge Louise Brandon said: "The defendants adopted different roles and became involved with and left the conspiracy at different times. I do not ignore the fact that the joining of a wider conspiracy elevates the culpability of an individual. They worked as a team, with some members acting as look outs while for others."

Judge Brandon said the conspiracy was "well organised and sophisticated" and included more than 53 graffiti incidents in total. She added: "Significant damage was caused on a grand scale. The harm to businesses cannot be overstated."

She said the fact that a significant amount of time has passed since the offending meant that she did not hand out immediate jail sentences today, adding: "If I had been sentencing you at the time of the offences then the majority of you would have gone straight into custody."

She added: "You were much younger, you were immature, your lives have moved on and you now have a lot to lose. I fear custody would undo the progress you have made."

Speaking about the damage done to the city by the gang, Liverpool City Council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Cllr Laura Robertson Collins, said: "These graffiti vandals have scarred Liverpool. This is not street-art. This is mindless vandalism. And the cost to the public purse to clean it up has been astronomical.

“I welcome the sentencing and I’d like to thank our neighbourhood enforcement officers who have worked tirelessly with British Transport Police, Merseyside Police and Merseyrail on Operation Doodle. It’s going to take years for us to eventually remove every piece of tagging but I hope this case serves as a warning for anyone thinking of doing something similar.

“These vandals thought they could get away it with. They didn’t. We won’t tolerate tagging in Liverpool and we’ll take every step possible to prosecute those who deface public and private property.”

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References

1. ^{^} Couple 'dreamt of becoming millionaires' but became criminals instead (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Win a holiday from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Madeira, Portugal with Jet2holidays (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Wirral (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
4. ^{^} Birkenhead (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Wallasey (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
6. ^{^} Tell us in the comments section (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
7. ^{^} The Liverpool Daily Post newsletter delves into the biggest stories on Merseyside (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
8. ^{^} Get a free National Trust pass worth up to £50 for your family day out this autumn (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)