Suspended sentence for Wicklow graffiti artist

An accomplished Wicklow graffiti artist who vandalised 28 walls, shop shutters, wastebins, lampposts and power boxes causing €13,500 worth of damage, has escaped with a suspended sentence.

Sean Bryan (aged 21), a hairdresser from Cois Cairn, Old Connaught Avenue, Bray was caught by gardai because of the use of his 'tag', identifying the graffiti artist as "Konk" or "Konker".

A search of his home revealed pieces of paper with the word "Konk" written in various typefaces, a mobile phone with reference on it to graffiti and various markers and paints.

Bryan had been recognised as having an artistic talent and had been previously commissioned to paint murals. He also presented an exhibition of his work in the Oxegen musical festival and had previously exhibited at Dublin’s Fringe Festival.

Bryan pleaded guilty to eight sample charges of criminal damage on dates between January 1, 2003 and December 13, 2006 in Dun Laoghaire, Glenageary and Sallynoggin.

Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a two-year sentence but suspended it on condition he completed 240 hours of community service and paid over €5000 in compensation, in addition to the €3,000 he had in court.

She noted at the time of his arrest "he enjoyed the notoriety of his actions" but became remorseful and co-operated with gardaí.

Bryan’s defence counsel, Mr Karl Finnegan BL, suggested to Judge Delahunt that his client obviously had artistic talents that were expressed in "an incorrect way", in the sense that he committed criminal damage.

Mr Finnegan said Bryan now volunteers as an art teacher to 12-to-15 year olds and had been approached by the youth leader in his local area to teach art to children there, which counsel said was "ironically" funded by the local council, the organisation that had to pay to clean up the damage Bryan caused.

Bryan told Judge Delahunt he wanted to apologise to all the people whose property he damaged but particularly to Sergeant Con Mulhall and the gardaí at Dun Laoghaire whom he said had treated him very well.

He said he had started voluntary work with underprivileged children in his area and he wanted to continue this to demonstrate to them "the positive side of being a graffiti artist and to teach them that vandalising property is wrong".

Judge Delahunt noted Bryan had been convicted of a similar offence after his arrest in December 2006 and said she suspected that until this year he hadn’t placed any significance on the damage he caused.

Judge Delahunt said that, taking into account that Bryan was 16 years old when he first started vandalising these properties, he might not have been aware of the damage he caused but said towards the end he would have been fully aware.

Sgt Mulhall told prosecuting counsel Mr Colm Ó Briain BL that, when arrested on December 13, 2006, Bryan identified various photographs of the graffiti and took full responsibility for the damage.

He had two previous convictions for criminal damage through graffiti which were dealt with in the District Court. One of the offences was committed after his arrest on this matter.

Sgt Mulhall agreed with Mr Finnegan that Bryan had offered to clean up the damage caused to the various properties and had co-operated with the Garda investigation.