Crystal Palace graffiti vandal jailed (From Bucks Free Press)

Crystal Palace graffiti vandal jailed

A prolific graffiti vandal has been jailed after his short size helped police link him to a host of offences.

Jailed: Matthew Mandell twice defaced Crystal Palace rail station

Matthew Mandell, who is 4ft 3in and from Mitcham, was arrested after causing £40,000 of damage to trains and station buildings in and around London Kent, Hertfordshire and Sussex.

During his two-year crime spree, Mandell twice defaced Crystal Palace rail station on March 7, 2009 and again on March 3, this year.

He was sentenced to nine months in prison and given a five-year Asbo at Blackfriars Crown Court on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said his distinctive appearance had been a factor in linking Mandell to some of the graffiti.

The 27-year-old was arrested on January 14 after a tag (signature) linked to him was found on a train at Three Bridges in Sussex.

Specialist officers from the British Transport Police checked the tag against a database, and traced it to Mandell.

A search of his flat found paint cans, brushes and photographs of him with other graffiti artists.

Handwriting experts linked him to dozens of other offences – including vandalism at stations in Balham, Croydon.

Mandell’s Asbo bans him from entering railway depots, and also from carrying paint, marker pens, shoe dye and etching equipment in public.

Detective Constable Colin Saysell, of BTP’s Graffiti Unit, said: “Vandals like Mandell who commit graffiti offences often believe that their work is art – sadly when the chosen canvas is railway property it cannot be considered art and is nothing more than wanton damage that costs thousands of pounds to clean up.

“Writing graffiti on the railway or elsewhere is not a harmless pastime and we hope the sentence handed down to Mandell acts as a deterrent to other likeminded individuals. We will continue to work closely with train operating companies, Network Rail and other police forces to reduce these criminal acts.”