Thousands of pounds of damage was caused to Metros and trains by a graffiti gang - three of whom were employed as cleaners on the rail network.
Tags were repeatedly sprayed on carriages and rolling stock by the gang, who focused their attention on depots in Heaton and Gosforth but carried out damage as far afield as London and Scotland.
Newcastle Crown Court heard ringleader Adam Smith was involved in the majority of the offences while Jordan Shone, Mark Marshall, Colin Bell and David McGuire were also involving in causing widespread damage. The five all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause criminal damage between January 2018 and June 2019.
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Glenn Gatland, prosecuting, said: "The conspiracy involved organised criminal damage to railway carriages and rolling stock by spraypainting graffiti using identifiable tags at various locations across the railway network and Tyne and Wear Metro.
"There were 37 separate incidents identified and the total value of the damage was more than £46,000. This has caused significant loss to the train companies."
"The Crown say the conspiracy was organised and well-planned with Adam Smith and Jordan Shone being the lead participants and organisers."
The court heard Heaton depot, used by Network Rail to repair and clean rolling stock and the Tyne and Wear Metro depot at South Gosforth, were repeatedly targeted but they also struck in Scotland and London.
At various points, Smith, Shone and Marshall worked as cleaners at the Newcastle depots they were targeting during the conspiracy.
Smith was involved in 34 incidents, causing £43,340 of damage. Referring to his work as a cleaner, Mr Gatland said: "The Crown say it was a breach of trust because he worked there."
Shone, admitted involvement in 19 incidents, totalling more than £22,000, Marshall was involved in nine incidents worth £21,000, Bell was involved in four incidents worth £11,362 and McGuire admitted two incidents worth £1,360.
Smith and McGuire both have previous convictions for destroying or damaging property while Bell has some unrelated convictions and Shone and Marshall have clean records.
- Smith, 28, of Hedgeley Road, Hebburn, was jailed for 18 months.
- Shone, 26, of Lumley Court, Hebburn, got 12 months suspended for 18 months with 250 hours unpaid work.
- Marshall, 28, of Greenbank, Jarrow, got nine months suspended for 18 months with 200 hours unpaid work.
- Bell, 47, of St Vincent Street, South Shields, got nine months suspended for 18 months with 50 hours unpaid work and must pay £4,000 he saved up in compensation.
- McGuire, 28, of Winskill Road, Simonside, South Shields, got a community order and 18 months unpaid work.
Christopher Knox, for Smith, said: "He is now older and a rather more mature young man. These events are all now old."
Tony Cornberg, for Shone, said: "A lot has changed in his life since this. It's still a hobby but he does it in legal places now, that's the difference."
Matthew Purves, for Marshall, said he was going through an "upsetting and turbulent time" at the time and added: "It was like an addiction, he seemed unable to stop." Mr Purves said Marshall is an artist but doesn't do graffiti anymore and is remorseful.
The court heard Bell shares the care of his child and made full admissions and McGuire's involvement was very limited.
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