Oscar McGrath, Shane Turvey, Joshua Parsons graffiti Nambour train
A painter and his two friends have been banned from using Queensland Rail services after they stole keys to access a Sunshine Coast train yard and graffitied a carriage.
Sunshine Coast
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Three friends have been banned from using Queensland Rail and fined after they broke into Nambour Railway Station yard using stolen keys and graffitied one of the carriages.
Oscar McGrath, 18, Shane Tamati Turvey, 21, and Joshua David Parsons, 22, faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to their individual charges.
Parsons, who is a repeat offender, pleaded guilty to trespass on a railway, unlawful possession of suspected stolen property and wilful damage.
McGrath and Turvey both pleaded guilty to trespassing and wilful damage.
Police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said Parsons had used the stolen keys to access the station on October 17, 2021.
Over an “extended period” they graffitied a large tag on the side of the railway cart using a variety of colours.
Railway police saw the three men graffitiing the cart about 7.25pm and they were captured on CCTV.
At 7.50pm police found the trio who matched the footage and searched Parsons’ backpack.
They found several spray cans in the same colours as the graffiti, a camera with purple paint on it and keys that belonged to Queensland Rail.
Parsons, who lives in Narangba and is a painter, had a criminal history but his two co-offenders did not.
Magistrate Rod Madsen said there were other ways the friends could have expressed themselves artistically.
“There was significant damage caused to public property,” Mr Madsen said.
“It must cost Queensland Rail a lot of money and this behaviour needs to be deterred.”
Solicitor Rachel Holland said the defendants were still young and remorseful for their actions.
Parsons was given two months jail suspended for two years.
Turvey and McGrath were fined $1000 each and had no convictions recorded.
All three men were ordered to pay $654 each in restitution.
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