Sick grave vandals cause £458,000 of damage

FOUR teenagers who left Rake Lane Cemetery "looking like a bomb had hit it" have been sentenced to detention.

Having previously been guaranteed anonymity, the group which desecrated 158 headstones can now be named by other newspapers after Wirral News Group successfully challenged the Youth Court order which protected their identities.

They are Daniel Trevitt, then 17, of Breck Road, Connell Barnes, then 17, of Martins Lane, Wallasey, Alex Marchbank, then 16, of Oakdale Avenue, Seacombe and Duane Seddon, who was 18, of Norfolk Close, Prenton.

Seddon and Barnes had even taken figurines from graves, including a statue of the Virgin Mary and hidden them in their bedrooms.

The destruction took place in two stages, the first after Trevitt knocked over one of the stones while leaning on it to tie a shoe lace on Thursday, September 21.

This triggered a spree in which 10 memorials were knocked over.

Barnes, Marchbank and Seddon returned on September 27, when a staggering 148 headstones were pushed over, in many cases smashing on impact.

Wirral Council's cemeteries and crematoria registrar, Lisa Parks, was one of the first people on the scene, after gravediggers rang her to report the scale of the destruction.

She explained that the sum cost of damage caused was £458,000.

She said: "Our sexton had only just cut the grass in one of the areas affected on the previous day to the first incident - they know the condition of the headstones.

"You could tell by the freshness in the breaks on the stones that it had been very recent vandalism.

"The damage was extensive in the Victorian section."

After the second, more prolonged attack she noted that chips in the stone had not been discoloured by weather, so was able to calculate just how many stones had been damaged.

She went on to create a detailed plan of the areas of the cemetery and the exact location of the stones affected, 89 in one section 46 in another, 14 in one section and one group of nine.

When questioned about costs and the council's ability to cover the damage, she said: "In many cases we have not been able to make repairs.

"All local authorities have limited budgets, in terms of finding £458,000, we wouldn't be able to."

Alex Marchbank, with cropped hair, blue shirt and black tie, was called to explain the extent of his involvement in the second incident.

He explained they had been drinking four litres of cider near Earlston Park, saying: "We finished drinking and were heading home.

"Somehow the conversation rose about them having pushed gravestones over beforehand, how it was a funny thing to do.

"It was drunken stupidity but I could see where they were coming from.

"Because I was drunk, I saw the humour in it - it doesn't seem funny any more."

He said they went off in directions and teamed up to attack the larger ones. He denied they had been shouting at their success, saying they went about the vandalism quietly.

It later transpired that Marchbank had sent Barnes a text, which directly quoted the headline from the News' report about the first incident.

"Plague of Grave Vandalism" was published on Wednesday, September 27 - the night the three returned for the biggest wrecking spree.

Prosecuting, Edmund Haygarth said on September 29 Barnes's mother found a grave ornament under his bed.

When confronted by police, he also produced a statue of the Virgin Mary from his wardrobe, and Seddon also produced a similar ornament.

He also added that representations had been made by the Friends of Rake Lane Cemetery which were passed to the judge for consideration.

Barristers defending the four said they were of previous good character, and in the case of one of the defendants, the death of a paternal grandparent had brought home just how offensive the crime had been.

They added that Barnes had written a letter of apology which had been published in the News.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, warned all the group's family that the mitigation did not reduce their responsibility, and warned despite the emotive circumstances they should keep their reactions in check.

l Trevitt, was sentenced to four months of youth detention and training.

l Seddon, guilty of three counts including theft, received three sentences concurrently - a total of 12 months in youth detention.

l Barnes, also guilty of theft and several counts of criminal damage, received the same sentence.

l Marchbank was sentenced to 12 months in youth detention.