Train vandals sentenced
10:34am Friday 2nd May 2008
Two men who went on an international, £100,000 vandalism rampage have been given suspended sentences.
Jason Giorgetti and Michael Deioia, along with teen James Rees, left thousands of tags on trains and stations across south-west London starting in 2003, Southwark Crown Court was told.
The court heard the trio were involved in causing extensive damage to the railway by defacing property with the tags KASO, ANIK and FORGOT, as far back as 2003.
Giorgetti and Deioia, linked to the SHZ crew, even travelled to Germany, tagging trains there.
The court was told that being arrested in April 2006 did not stop Giorgetti tagging property. Released on police bail, he was picked up in Epsom a short time later committing more vandalism with Rees.
Police put the three on a home curfew in January last year while officers collected more evidence of their crimes, including thousands of images of graffiti and seized homemade videos, hundreds of cans of spray paint, bolt cutters and other graffiti paraphernalia.
The three pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage against railway property including that belonging to Southern, Southeastern, South West Trains, London Underground trains as well as damage to trains in Germany.
Giorgetti, 22, of Smitham Downs Road, Croydon, and Deioia, 26, of Arundel Avenue, Selsdon, were given 12-month sentences suspended for two years.
They were each ordered to complete 250 hours' community service within a year and pay £2,000 compensation to the railways and £175 costs.
Rees, 18, of Palmerfield Road, Banstead, offered to pay £1,500 compensation and must complete 125 hours' unpaid work.
BTP Detective Sergeant Pete Thrush said the trio were persistent and had been involved in a "campaign of vandalism on the railways".
"The level of damage caused by this group was prolific. They showed no regard to anyone but themselves in their attempt to gain notoriety by criminally damaging railway property."
Sentencing them yesterday, Judge James Wadsworth said the trio had "to slightly varying degrees, engaged in a long practise of stupid and destructive behaviour".
"It is a stupid piece of vandalism that must be treated seriously. What each of you did easily passes the custody threshold."
Judge Wadsworth said while he was suspending the sentences, due to the ill health of Giorgetti's mother, the trio were warned if they re-offended they would be hauled back before the courts.
Among the areas targeted by the three were Epsom station and town centre, Thornton Heath station, Chiswick Park station, Purley station and town centre; London Bridge station and buildings, railway property and disused factories in Croydon.