A prolific graffiti vandal has pleaded guilty to defacing historic monuments and properties across Chester.

Last year residents and business owners across the city contacted the police after buildings, signs and electricity boxes were ‘tagged’ with black ink.

On Tuesday, February 11, the ‘JAKA’ graffiti vandal pleaded guilty to multiple counts of criminal damage after scrawling the nickname across heritage sites – including Chester Cathedral and the historic Rows.

Jami Kaysen, who is undergoing a sex change, admitted defacing four sites across the city with the ‘tag’, said to be a nickname, causing about £1,156 worth of damage.

Dressed all in black, the 33-year-old appeared in the dock at Chester Magistrates Court and admitted being the JAKA vandal, who police launched a county-wide search for after the graffiti started appearing across Ellesmere Port, the Wirral and Chester in July last year.

Kaysen, of Brookhurst Ave, the Wirral, also asked for 33 similar offences to be taken into consideration during the hearing, before objecting to magistrates’ wording of the offences, saying: “It was not spray paint, it was ink.”

The court heard how on July 7 last year, Kaysen scrawled the tag across railings and a pillar belonging to Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Then on August 8 the JAKA symbol appeared on a sign belonging to Claire House Hospice, on Frodsham Street – it cost £286 to replace.

Then, at some point between August 1-28, Kasyen damaged a sandstone pillar close to Rosie’s nightclub, before targeting a window sill at Chester Cathedral in November last year.

“This lady has a number of previous issues on going in her life,” said Steve Alis, defending.

“She has written her name or nickname in four letters on these places. She was identified from CCTV. When she was interviewed about all the matters, she made a full admission.”

“It happened over a two to three month period, once she was identified that is when the offences stopped.”

Kasyen, who has no previous convictions, was released on bail until March 4 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

Kasyen has bail conditions not to enter Cheshire apart from to attend court, solicitor’s appointments and probation. She must not carry any equipment which could produce graffiti.