Aspiring Geraldton graphic designers given 240 hours of community service over graffiti spree

A Geraldton court has sentenced two aspiring graphic designers to more than 200 hours of community service after they admitted to taking part in a graffiti spree across the city. Roland Adam Sweetman and Mitchell George Head on Monday appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court where they pleaded guilty to almost 50 counts between them of damaging property by graffiti. Sweetman and Head had initially been facing 75 and 32 charges, but some were discontinued following negotiations with police. The offending occurred from March 2020 until May 2021 across the CBD and suburbs including Rangeway, Mount Tarcoola, Webberton and Moonyoonooka. On one occasion the now 31-year-old Sweetman graffitied the words “army of c....” across a Geraldton underpass, while Head spray painted various property with nonsensical words and letters. Defence counsel Eva Svanberg told the court Head was interested in graphic design, but Magistrate Angus Hockton said the now 24-year-old should have “got a notepad” if he wanted to be an artist. “I don’t really accept your excuse, that you were providing Geraldton with the gift of your art,” he told Head. Ms Svanberg said Head was now only interested in pursuing “legal art projects” such as working on public murals. Sweetman’s lawyer Kate Fry said her client was also interested in art — particularly street art — and was completing a Cert IV in Graphic Design in Perth. She said Sweetman had left Geraldton after he was charged due to feeling “so very ashamed” of his behaviour and wanting a “fresh start”. Mr Hockton questioned the “artistic value” of Sweetman and Head’s graffiti and said their behaviour was more typical of offenders more than half their age. He said offending like theirs “degrades” Geraldton and forces resources to be used to remove graffiti instead of being used for community projects. He sentenced Head and Sweetman to 100 hours and 140 hours of community service respectively.