Clough statue vandal is well-known graffiti pest
ONE of Nottingham's most prolific graffiti pests has pleaded guilty to vandalising the Brian Clough statue.
Dominic Luke-Clarke, 23, has sprayed his tag name "Smokey" in several places in the city.
He admitted two counts of causing criminal damage at Nottingham Magistrates' Court yesterday.
He sprayed white paint over the face of the Clough monument and an 'S' on the jumper on Wednesday night.
The second charge he admitted related to him spraying graffiti on the outside wall of the Curry Lounge restaurant in Upper Parliament Street.
"Both incidents cost £200 to put right," Kevin Kavanagh, prosecuting, said.
Luke-Clarke, of Alfreton Road, Radford, was captured on CCTV spraying the graffiti on the statue.
The city council's Street Scene cleaning staff noticed it on their early morning patrols on Thursday and had the paint cleaned off.
The vandalism caused outrage among shoppers in the city centre the next day.
It is one of several graffiti incidents involving Luke-Clarke in the city.
He also pleaded guilty to breaching an anti-social behaviour order which bans him from having any paint, marker pen, ink, dye of spray can in a public place until 2011.
The Asbo was given to him in April last year after being caught spraying the "Smokey" tag around the city.
Luke-Clarke has already breached the Asbo on a number of occasions.
He was jailed in February for 140 days for breaching it five times, believed to be one of the longest sentences handed out for graffiti.
He has sprayed his name the Radford and Meadows areas, on the wall of Angel Row library and on the window of a tram.
During yesterday's hearing, Luke-Clarke also asked for two other graffiti offences to be taken into consideration.
The first was on a Boots store and the second on a jewellery shop in Upper Parliament Street.
No applications for bail were made. He will next appear before magistrates on June 15. Magistrates said the case could be sent to Nottingham Crown Court and warned Luke-Clarke he could face being jailed again.
marcus.boocock@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
39 Comments
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by Dominic Luke-Clarke, London
Monday, May 10 2010, 3:25PM
“Thanks to everyone for the comments i read them all i wont stop tagging hate me or love me im a big nottingham forest fc fan thanks to my mum dad and all my fans lifes a dream come true i love trance music anyway see you soon lots of love Smokey2000”
by Paul, Nottingham
Friday, May 29 2009, 8:08PM
“To danny and all the numpties that think Mr Vermin Clarke did a good job...........GET A LIFE AND GROW UP”
by Paul, Nottingham
Friday, May 29 2009, 8:02PM
“i'm A Leicester city fan and am disgusted that this smug idiot who vandalised Mr Cloughs statue hasn't been locked up, he's a truly sad waste of space”
by Plonk, Heanor at work going home soon
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 2:11AM
“The issue is not vandalism but a total failure of the legal system which was going to get tough on crime. Where is the tough on crime bit when a habitual offender gets so many chances and carries on with his criminal acts. If such toerags were dealt with swiftly and harshly the first time around it would not be happening again in many cases. They would find the punishment a real deterrent.”
by forest65, Meadows
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 9:12PM
“This plum is on borrowed time. colour is not the issue here cos im black and proud, Nottingham Forest Meadows and proud, proud our this city. Sir clough a legend. We hate to.”
by Pete, notts
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 6:50PM
“well , it's time smokey got sorted , i'm sure one of the nice gentlemen who frequent a block or the trent end will do the honours . i'd certainly buy them a drink if the do .”
by M.W.Harrison., Nottingham
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 4:17PM
“On November 23rd last year and again on April 5th this year Luke-Clarke vandalised my property with his tag 8 feet wide by 4 feet high, on both occassions cctv evidence was given to the police. He was sent to prison in January for other offences but was released after about four weeks to continue his vandalism. He was arrested on April 16th and charged with three counts of Criminal damage and breaching his asbo. He was bailed to appear at a later date. If he had been kept in custody at this time the statue would not have been vandalised. On the last occassion it took the council two weeks from reporting the incident to cleaning the graffiti from my property, unlike the statue cleaned the next day!”
by Have A Go Hero, Nottingham
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 2:43PM
“Read the Comments Smokey, your not liked so keep your head down , thats if it dont get chopped off.”
by Jason, Notts
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 2:29PM
“He's a pathetic waste of space.”
by adinuff, nottm.
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 1:52PM
“this is just a desperate quest for fame, and saddo's like this realise in the back of their mind that vandalism and destruction is the only thing they'll ever be good at. why do you think he chose a statue of cloughie? a REALLY famous person. can't have that!”