When Swedish techno artist Abdulla Rashim left Stockholm for a two-week tour of Australia this week he never imagined himself landing in jail. The revered mixer, whose real name is Anthony Linell, was taken into custody by police after he and a friend named Max were spotting by a train worker tagging trains at Mordialloc railway yard in Melbourne at 3am.
According to the Herald Sun, Linell told police graffiti was “a stupid habit that’s tough to break.”
While Max fled the scene Linell wound up spending seven hours in police custody before appearing at the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to a single count of criminal damage.
He received a $750 fine but was spared a conviction.
In a related case, the Sun points out that a graffiti artist who tagged 10 trains over a one-month period received a $5,000 fine and a 12-month suspended jail term after pleading guilty to 37 charges from the same magestrate.
According to his Facebook page, Linell is booked to play Common Ground at Mercat Hotel in Melbourne today.