US vandal jailed by Melbourne Court

An American man charged with vandalising Melbourne trains and buildings has been jailed for six months.

A Melbourne train

An American accused of coming to Melbourne to vandalise trains could be jailed for up to six months. (AAP)

He's been on the lam since 2011 after skipping probation in the US for graffiti offences.

But, for one half of America's so-called "Bonnie and Clyde of graffiti" it all ended when a Melbourne dad tried to stop Jim Clay Harper from plastering stickers on shop fronts.

Harper, 31, was on Tuesday jailed for six months after pleading guilty to eight damage charges, attempted robbery and a recklessly causing injury charge.

He was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, where prosecutor Tracey Ramsey said Harper and his partner Danielle Bremner came to Melbourne on April 21 from the United Arab Emirates.

The couple, who use the tag names Ether and Utah, spray painted train carriages and buildings with local vandals, Ms Ramsey said.

Harper was the only one charged with causing more than $4000 damage, including to an RMIT University building and Etihad Stadium.

Bremner is believed to have left Australia for Hong Kong.

Harper was arrested on May 4 after a fight with a man who tried to stop him and another vandal putting stickers on shops in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, the court was told.

On their website, the pair's most recent posts are titled "Probation Vacation: Lost in Asia".

They write that they broke probation by flying from the US to India in 2011 and since then "Bonnie and Clyde (went) travelling through 11 countries, 37 cities, lurking at metro depots day and night".

Harper's lawyer, Adrian Lewin, told Magistrate Carolene Gwynn on Tuesday his client would be deported at the end of his sentence to serve six months in a New York prison for graffiti offences.

He said Harper didn't come to Melbourne specifically to spray paint, but to see associates.

Graffiti was a side activity, he said, suggesting it was like yoga to Harper.

When yoga practitioners travel the world, they don't stop doing yoga, the lawyer told the court.

But Ms Gwynn said Harper had come to Melbourne "specifically for graffiti".

She sentenced Harper to six months, backdated his term to May 4.

Outside court, the victim, a single dad who did not wish to be named, was not sure why Harper had a following.

"I didn't see any real artwork online from the guy, just his name scribbled on things," he said.


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Source: AAP



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