Extradicted man jailed for affray and bakery burglary at Derry Crown Court
42-year-old with two addresses in Derry and Galway jailed for 50 months
A man who was extradited from the Republic has been jailed at Derry Crown Court for a burglary, criminal damage and an affray charge.
John Paul Barrett (42) with two addresses one at Northland Road in Derry and the other at Ballymoneen Road in Galway appeared at Derry Crown Court where he admitted a charge of affray on September 14 2021 in Waterloo Place and a charge of burglary and criminal damage on September 15 2021 in Sackville Street in Derry.
The court was shown CCTV of the affray charge and it shows the defendant starting a fight with three other men.
There were no weapons involved but Barrett could be seen punching and man several times and on one occasion aiming a knee at one of the victim's head.
After being arrested Barrett made a mostly no comment interview but said one of the men he was fighting with was his friend.
The court was then told that within 24 hours Barrett offended again by breaking into a bakery in Sackville Street just before midnight.
The front window was smashed and three men entered through the broken window with Barrett being one of them.
He was seen on CCTV 'rummaging' through the shop and was later stopped by police nearby carrying 4 charity boxes taken from the bakery and with a wound on his leg.
Overall damage was set at £1,000.
As regards his wound Barrett claimed he had been stabbed at a different location.
Judge Roseanne McCormick KC said that while Barrett had a short record here but a 'lengthy record' in the Republic.
She said the defendant had been extradited from the Republic in November last year after serving a lengthy sentence there.
He was described as a member of a traveller family in Galway who was said to have begun using drugs aged 11.
The judge said that while Barrett claimed to be free of drugs since 2021 he had failed a drug test in prison 5 months ago.
She said that burglary charges appear in Barrett's record 'with depressing regularity' and added that he had spent most of his adult life in custody.
Barrett was jailed for 50 months with half to be spent in custody and half on licence.