Turks Bar manager Dion Cooper said when he recognized Quentin McKelvey as the man allegedly videotaped writing on a barroom wall, he asked the "artist" to clean off his tagging, The Dominion Post said in its Saturday edition.

Cooper said he took matters into his own hands after McKelvey refused.

"I asked him, 'How do you like that, mate? How do you like being drawn on?'" Cooper said. "I put a bit on his clothes, said, 'Oh sorry, mate, I've just wrecked your clothes, like you wrecked my wall, how did you like it?"'

McKelvey was not charged in the April 18 incident in Havelock North but he said he learned his lesson after receiving community service from a similar incident.

"I know it's really irresponsible and I've learnt my lesson now," he told the Post.