Tom Collister, 22, from West Wickham, Darren Austin, 21, of Beckenham, Joshua Piehl, 19, from Tunbridge Wells, and William Setzdemspey, 19, from Uckfield, were all jailed at Southwark Crown Court on October 10.

They had all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the four were 'prolific' vandals who caused delays and disruptions to train services by defacing carriages during organised overnight tagging sessions – many committed while on bail.

They were caught following a lengthy investigation by officers attached to the BTP London South Graffiti Unit.

Detective Sergeant Pete Thrush said the vandals were so intent on causing damage that not even the threat of death had deterred them.

"In 2004 Austin was arrested for trespassing on the railway in an incident where he received an electric shock from the 750 volt live rail," he said.

"Yet he continued to trespass to spray graffiti on trains and sidings.

"In 2006 he was handed an ASBO preventing him from carrying spray paint, but he was subsequently linked to a series of offences."

DS Thrush said photographs, paint cans and materials seized from their homes linked the four to crime scenes at Horsham, East Grinstead, Redhill, Woking, Tonbridge, Epsom, Bletchley, Hastings, Tunbridge Wells and Ramsgate.

"Numerous bits of graffiti paraphernalia were seized during various house searches.

"Many had tags linking back to each of them on everything from railway timetables to shoe boxes, with even a pair of slippers being seized with their tags on it.

"These people are persistent dedicated vandals.

"The court has recognised the seriousness of the offences, the risk these young men take with their lives and the cost to the train companies and public of south London.

"I would rather see people go to court than go to the morgue."

In sentencing, Judge Stephen Robbins said graffiti and criminal damage was a serious offence and a custodial sentence would act as a deterrent to others from engaging in such behaviour.

"The fact is that this type of offending sickens members of the public who have their travelling lives blighted by this sort of criminal damage," he said.

Collister, linked to the tags SKEAMS, SKEAMZ, SKEAM and FDC (Forever Doing Crime), was sentenced to 30 months in jail.

Austin, linked to the tag FDC, was sentenced to 18 months jail.

Piehl, linked to the tags SKAM and JKS (Just Kant Stop) was sentenced to 12 months jail

Setzdempsey, linked to the tags NOIS and JKS, was sentenced to 15 months jail.



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