Two men were sentenced for vandalising a train after being hunted down by a police dog.
Kyle Mark Smith, aged 27, of Ribble Street, Birkenhead, and Adam Metcalfe, aged 30, of Church Road, Tranmere, both pleaded guilty to criminal damage following a British Transport Police investigation.
On Friday, February 12, just before 6pm, British Transport Police were alerted to the two men spray painting graffiti on a stationary train at Allerton Rail Depot.
A BTP dog handler attended and located Smith and Metcalfe who were both found with paint splatter on their clothes and were carrying rucksacks.
When searched they were both found to be in possession of spray paint cans.
Smith, who was in breach of a criminal behaviour order banning him from entering non public parts of the railway was sentenced on Friday, March 12, to four months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £128.
Metcalfe appeared before Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 4 and was fined £120 and ordered to pay compensation of £500 as well as a victim surcharge of £34.
Investigating officer PC Paul Quest said: "Graffiti is not a victimless crime – it is vandalism and has severe consequences for passengers – when trains are taken out of service for repairs and cleaning this results in delays and cancellations.
"Thousands of pounds are spent repairing this damage and the financial implications for the rail industry are huge.
"We will continue to treat graffiti on the railway for what it is – wanton criminal damage which will not be tolerated."
Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern, said: "Graffiti causes thousands of pounds of damage and has a significant impact not just on rail operators, but also customers whose journeys can be affected when trains are taken out of service to be cleaned.
"We are modernising many parts of the Northern network and included in this is enhanced CCTV at our stations, on our trains and at our depots. Thankfully this can provide vital evidence to our colleagues at British Transport Police and help with investigations such as this.
"We will continue to work with BTP and do all we can to help bring offenders to justice."
