Home Staff
Enter our Snapshots of Summer photography competition
A graffiti artist who was hired by the BBC to spray his tag over the EastEnders set was jailed for two years yesterday. Andrew Gillman, 25, was a member of a group responsible for damage to trains and railways estimated to be worth millions of pounds.
While on bail Gillman was hired by the BBC under the name Eddie Jones and paid £500 for a day’s work in which he sprayed his “NEAS” tag on the EastEnders set in Elstree, Hertfordshire. He defaced a wall of the Queen Vic pub, the Albert Square street sign and the car lot of Mitchell’s Autos.
Between 2004 and 2006 Gillman’s gang, “The DPM Crew”, vandalised trains in London, Somerset, Liverpool, Manchester and Sunderland. There were also outings to Paris and Amsterdam. The group filmed themselves and published pictures on the internet.
Seven other members of the gang were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court. Slav Zinoviev, 25, Ziggy Grudzinskas, 25, and Paul Stewart, 26, were jailed for 18 months. Matthew Pease, 24, was jailed for 15 months.
Jack Binnie, 26, Matthew Tanti, 23, and Alex McClelland, 24, were given suspended sentences.
Judge Christopher Hardy said: “It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge that some examples of your handiwork show considerable artistic talent, part of what is now known as the graffiti subculture and on the way to being recognised as a valid form of art. The trouble is that it is has been sprayed all over other people’s property without their consent and that is simply vandalism.”

Win a luxury weekend to Newcastle and its neighbour Gateshead, find out more here
Risk, resilience and embracing new technology
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Discover the collective power of smart thinking. Submit a solution and be in with a chance to win a Flip MinoHD Camcorder
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Make the most of the summer and enter our fabulous photographic competition, you could win a £5000 holiday
Corsica is an island of beauty and contrast, an ideal holiday destination
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
The clever way to lease a new car is with Car leasing made simple™
2009
42,945
2008
71,450
Car Insurance
Not Specified
MI6
UK-based
£60,000
The Environment Agency
Bristol
Up to £90K
Boots
Midlands
OTE £85k
Credit Protection Association
Nationwide Opportunities
Completely London
Luxury Condo's in Manhattan with NYC views
The best new homes in Wimbledon?
Nationwide
Save up to £1,000 per couple with Elite Vacations at the five-star Constance Lemuria Resort
and do the British Isles this Summer.
Save up to 60% with Oxford Hotels and Inns
Try our inspiring luxury holidays to the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia.
Great offers available
8 fabulous Canadian cities ...you won’t find cheaper
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
I'm graffiti artist for 10 years! I have exibithions in countries. WHy they don't spend money helping the people in Africa? Why they don't see people who don't have nothing to eat in the world? Now words about that!!
Stuped!!!
Johab SIlva, Arlington, USA
Although graffiti is an offence I do not see that it is a crime punishable of prison sentences. Graffiti is a non-violent crime and these men represent no threat to society!!!
Rebbeca, Luton, England
It has to be said that the sentences handed out are beyond what is necessary.
There are more productive ways to punish crimes of this nature without simply applying custodial sentences.
Community service with youths would surely have a more positive effect on the community as well as their own lives
Scott, London,
These people are vandals who despoil,all they see in public areas,I hope there more proscecutions
Albert Cooper, Norwich, England
It's not so much their choice of "crime" that makes me think, but that they are all in their twenties and still vandalising other people's property. Shouldn't they have moved on to drug dealing, or perhaps become estate agents by that age? Still, two years and eighteen months is a little harsh.
Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, England
Absolute stupidity. All very well giving out punishments for the crimes, but why not have them doing something useful to the community instead? Jailing them is not going to help. Putting graffiti in the same penal category as rape, sexual assault, violent crime and drug dealing is ludicrous.
David Hoadth, London, UK
Many crimes that appear serious are not nearly as bad as they sound.
My own view is that dishonesty and deception offences are far more serious than minor acts of violence. Many people provoke violence.
jo, london, uk
Surely some kind of community service would be a far better penance rather than locking up kids for this mistermeaner. Why not have them put right these wrongdoings. Aftrer all they weren`t out there stabbing or stealing were thy.
J.Mc... London
J. McEntee, London, England
Graffiti is another manifestation of totally screwed up values: that if a young peson does something, they're automatically "talented". That if they want to do something, in their miniscule brains it's "their right", and property rights mean nothing. etc.
They're just a bunch of untalented losers.
Helen E., London, United Kingdom
good sentences - however, does it not highlight the inadequacy of our legal system that allows numerous lenient and paltry sentences for more serious crimes. But spraying tags on business property. All of a sudden the full force of the law is applied - food for thought indeed
Henderson Farquarson, norwich, norfolk