A north Belfast man has been jailed for spraying offensive race-hate graffiti on the side of a popular city centre pub and over murals near his home.
Christopher Tyrell received a six-month sentence for defacing the Sunflower Bar and street art in the New Lodge area.
The 31-year-old, of Maeve House on Duncairn Parade, admitted two charges of carrying out the criminal damage in an outburst of vandalism on February 15 this year.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard staff at the bar on Union Street spotted a man on CCTV footage spray-painting the side of their building with the phrase “N*****s not welcome, rapists”.
A short time later two murals in the New Lodge area of the city were defaced with the same racial slur, along with a number of images of crucifixes.
A TikTok video posted by an account username “Peanut Butterfly” allegedly showed the graffiti being daubed onto the walls which belong to the Housing Executive.
Police called to the scene located a tin of spray paint inside Tyrell’s flat in the Maeve House accommodation block.
At the time the offences were described as hate-motivated crimes.
Defence solicitor Niall O’Neill argued there was no racial hostility by his client, insisting: “His family are multi-cultural.”
Instead, according to the lawyer, Tyrell had come off medication he was taking for delusional thoughts and replaced it with steroids.
“He has spent four months in custody reflecting on his error… and apologises through me for his behaviour,” Mr O’Neill added.
Imposing six months custody, District Judge Steven Keown warned Tyrell could face a longer term for any repeat offending.
“It raises the stakes in terms of his behaviour going forward,” he stated.
“The offences are aggravated by hostility and the sentences enhanced as a result.”
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