The man who defaced a mural of the late pop star George Michael in the days after Australia voted "yes" for same-sex marriage has been given 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay $14,000 in compensation.



Ben Gittany, 24, was sentenced in the New South Wales Local Court on Tuesday morning after he covered the mural in black paint on November 18, 2017.



The artwork, titled "St George", was painted by artist Scott Marsh in the inner Sydney suburb of Erskineville following Michael's death in December 2016. It depicts the gay rights icon wearing a white robe with a halo around his head while holding a joint.

Gittany, a Christian, claimed he was "defending his religion" as he defaced the mural three days after the same-sex marriage postal survey results were announced. The incident happened a week after another mural by Marsh in a neighbouring suburb, showing Tony Abbott and George Pell in a relationship, had also been defaced.



On November 18 Gittany travelled from his home town near Bathurst to Erskineville, stopping at Bunnings to buy $135 worth of supplies, and proceeded to cover the colourful mural in a thick black layer of paint.

In footage of the incident Gittany can be heard saying "I've done nothing wrong, I'm defending my religion".

To an onlooker who warned he may spend time in prison, Gittany said: "I don't care what happens to me, my religion's more important than me."