A 52-year-old man from Ely who branded himself a “street artist” has been sentenced after scrawling graffiti tags across dozens of locations in the city.
Oliver Rains left his mark on wheelie bins, telephone cabinets, garage doors and windows, causing more than £7,000 in damage between 20 January and 16 February. The spree, which left parts of Ely blighted, was caught on CCTV and swiftly linked to Rains by neighbourhood policing officers.
The graffiti bore a distinctive tag that led police to his home on Abbotts Way, where they discovered matching graffiti, green spray paint and white paint pens.
At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on 5 June, Rains pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal damage. He was handed a 12-month community order and placed under a 7pm to 7am curfew for six months. He must also pay £860 in compensation for the damage caused.
East Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood officer PC Jamie Brown emphasised the cost of such actions, stating: “Rains admitted being responsible for the tags across Ely but claimed he was a ‘street artist’ and that he didn’t believe he was damaging property, instead he was ‘enhancing’ it.
“His actions have come at a huge cost – more than £7,000 – to clean up. In some cases, the graffiti never gets removed and remains a blemish on the area.”
This is the second graffiti case in the area in six months, and Cambridgeshire Police are keen to demonstrate their commitment to tackling vandalism.
PC Brown added, “We hope it continues to show that this type of damage will not be tolerated in our community and those responsible will be caught and put before the courts.”
Residents of Ely, many of whom were frustrated by the sudden appearance of the tags, have welcomed the outcome, calling it a “relief” to see action being taken against those who deface the local environment.
