Chris Chalkley, chairman of PRSC, will finally appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday 12th March 2010 at 10am. Mr. Chalkley is accused of Criminal Damage, having painted a sign on the 5102 Building at the bottom of Stokes Croft between 28/8/09 and 1/9/09, allegedly causing damage of between £150 and £200.
The sign that he painted is shown below.
Detail below.
Mr. Chalkley has pleaded not guilty and will be mounting a robust defence of his action.
Scheduled to appear for the prosecution are the Project Manager for Clean and Green (Anti- graffiti), Denise James and the property manager for 5102.
Mr. Chalkley’s defence team will be calling several witnesses.
The trial is expected to last all day.
See the links below for relevant reading…
Click here to see the Criminal Damage Act 1971
The two documents are essential reading for those who are going to spend the day in court.
All are welcome. Please pass this information to all thase who may be interested.
Chris Chalkley (pictured below) in the St. Werburgh’s Tunnel, a site currently used as a continually changing gallery; No official permission was sought by the local community for painting the tunnel, which is believed to be owned by Network Rail.
However nice and appropriate the sign is, you should have asked first. You have modified somebody else’s private property without asking their permission. The consequence of doing so, as you could easily have forseen, is a charge of criminal damage. I would respond in the same way if you came round to Fairfield Road and painted a sign on my house. You need to start showing some respect for other people.
“Ziml and Deamze painted Uplands Audio’s shutters last Sunday. The deal was: Nick,
owner of Uplands paid for materials, and Ziml and Deamze got to paint what they
wanted. Colours were chosen that worked with Uplands’ current colour scheme. Nick
told your reporter that he was “Very happy with the result”, and that passing
motorists were clocking his shop, as they queued in traffic… Everybody wins…”
I take it that you wrote this. Correct me if I am wrong. Either way, it amply illustrates the benefits of ASKING property owners BEFORE modifying their property.
still, what harm could it have done?
depending on exactly what the building below was,
i dont know, i’m in a mixed mind about this, but i do think its a bit childish to charge with ‘criminal damage’, they can just spray back over it if its that much of a bother.
like that banksy piece that repeatedly got paint thrown on an that, that was criminal damage, but were they fussing over who it was that did that? probably not.
Richard Craven
You don’t understand the concept of either “criminal” or “damage”.
And Uplands Audio (the property owner) asked for this. not the other way round.
Please go back to your day job – unless this is now it.
I think I’ll pop along to this.
Can’t wait to hear the “robust defence” that doesn’t include the person who happened to be passing and had to assist Chris holding the stencil in place.
Good luck!
5102’s a bit of an eyesore, so it’s a shame they didn’t keep your addition. At least it would’ve served some purpose…
Should have said on this sign “Former working-class communtity”. Since we seem to be over-run by artists these days.
Nice to see the ever so nice rich middle-class capitalists in court for a change, but as Chris Chalkley is SO rich from his tat-trading empire (formally known as Great Western China) I’m sure he will be able to generate lots and lots of media publicity for his PRSC – self publicity purposes.
Its not like he’s a radical or anything, he’s not exactly a Banksy, he’s far too fluffy for that!
Richard, painting a sign which obviously benefits the community on a faceless (formerly council) monstrosity of a building that I doubt very much the local people wanted or had any influence over, is a bit different from painting a sign on your house.
Are we just to sit back while developers and out of touch council officials ruin our environment? Given that the official lines of process don’t work for the average joe, why should we be expected to play ball?
Chris does an amazing job for our community, its dubious whether you could call his activity ‘damage’.
You’re well off the mark, and far from the sentiment of the average local inhabitant.
Jon
Hillgrove Street
Peurile
Bored
Grey hair is God’s graffiti
Good luck mate!
“harryT permalink
Richard Craven
You don’t understand the concept of either “criminal” or “damage”. ”
What is your basis for saying this?
“And Uplands Audio (the property owner) asked for this. not the other way round.”
Evidently, you misunderstood my point, which was precisely that the work was agreed with Uplands Audio beforehand. You need to read posts more carefully before you respond.
“Please go back to your day job – unless this is now it.”
I think that you don’t really like people to express opinions with which you disagree. Sad, really.