Teen illegally tattooed girls

TWO young girls were illegally tattooed by a teenager who was just using them as "practice" for a possible career as a tattooist.

One of the tattoos on a 14-year-old girl read: "Everything I like is either immoral, illegal, fattening, addictive, expensive or impossible."

The girl later regretted the tattoo and her family was probably "aghast" with horror, a court heard.

Aaron Goddard, 18, of Sutcliffe Avenue, on Grimsby's Nunsthorpe Estate, admitted two offences of tattooing two girls under 18.

Philip Morris, prosecuting, told Grimsby magistrates that a 14-year-old girl and her friend visited Goddard's home in January or February to have tattoos done but they did not go ahead.

Arrangements were made via Facebook to meet again in May so a tattoo, in the shape of a bird, could be done on the back of her neck.

"She did not mention her age or anything about school," said Mr Morris.

"He went on to tattoo the bird on the back of her neck as agreed. When she left, she said she wanted another one doing."

The girl contacted Goddard via Facebook and arranged to return. He tattooed her forearm with two lions, as well as the words: "Everything I like is either immoral, illegal, fattening, addictive, expensive or impossible".

They were even done with the correct spelling, said Mr Morris.

The tattooing stretched from her elbow to her wrist.

"She now regrets having that tattoo done," said Mr Morris.

Goddard told the other girl, aged 13, when they were talking about tattoos: "Don't tell anyone or I could get done for it."

A friend of the girl was tattooed by Goddard – there was no prosecution relating to this matter – and he then put tattoos of three stars in different sizes on the 13-year-old's side.

Goddard did not ask for any payment.

The court heard that it was thought the offences came to light when the girls' parents saw the tattoos, were "aghast" and demanded answers from the girls.

Goddard told the court he did not realise the legal age for tattoos was 18 and claimed he believed that it was 16.

He claimed he thought the girls were both 16.

"If I had known any of them were under that age, it would not have got done because it's just wrong," he said.

He said of the first girl: "She looked older than she was."

He admitted a claim from the magistrates that it defied belief that he really thought the 13-year-old girl was 16, let alone 18.

He added that he was doing the tattoos "just as practice" for a possible career in an area that had been a hobby.

Goddard, who is at college, was given a one-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a Government-imposed £15 victims' surcharge.

The magistrates ordered that his equipment should be forfeited and destroyed. Goddard asked if that meant he could not buy new equipment. He reacted with delight when told that there would be nothing to stop him buying replacement tattoo equipment.