Northern Tablelands MP, Richard Torbay, has welcomed the jailing of a man responsible for vandalising the Armidale Cemetery.

In October 2009 Bradley Whelan, and an under-age friend, desecrated 56 headstones while heavily intoxicated, causing around $200,000 damage.

The 23-year-old Mr Whelan was yesterday sentenced to a maximum 10 months in prison and fined $8,000 in Armidale Local Court.

Richard Torbay says, given the nature of the attack, the sentence could have been harsher.

"When you're talking about the destruction of graves and headstones it's a disgraceful act and it's no wonder that people reacted and that the community has continued to react," he said.

"You can understand the absolute feeling of the family members involved that this is a disgraceful act and I'm certainly glad that a prison sentence has been imposed by the magistrate.

Source: ABC Regional News