Michael Joseph Crump was charged with destroy or damage property and the matter was to be heard in Griffith Local Court on Friday.

However, before the hearing began, a plea of guilty was entered.

According to facts tendered to the court, on December 4, 2020, a Griffith City Council director witnessed Crump spaying circles around cracks in Yambil Street where the hot mix surface had failed.

Police officers later visited Crump on March 31, 2021 to caution him before he told the officers he had used spray paint to draw circles around the cracks on the road.

He told officers that he was going to write a report for the Member for Murray Helen Dalton, as he was her representative on Griffith City Council's Road and Traffic Committee.

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Crump's legal representative David Davidge told the court on Friday that the marks had been made in the interest of public safety and areas where the road needed attention.

He said Crump was a long-serving staff member with council for 20 years and since retiring had become a member of the Roads and Traffic Committee.

Mr Davidge said the marks were made within the margins of the damage and were consistent with council's existing practises.

Magistrate Michael Love questioned why council was forced to expedite the repair to the road after the marks had been made by Crump, as well as the cost of repair being estimated at $2380 according to the tendered facts.

"How much of that is to remove the circles?" Mr Love asked.

Mr Love accepted Crump's actions were "well-intentioned" but he had gone about the "wrong way".

He said if Crump was going to write a report it was "unnecessary" to mark the road and could have taken photos or used notes.

"If you were going to write a report, you could have done so. There's an element of trying to embarrass the council," he said.

"We can't have individuals picking up spray cans to indicate their views to the community at large. There are processes."

"You are privileged, you are on the committee where council listens to its recommendations."

No conviction was recorded and Crump was given a six-month conditional release order with no conditions.

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