'Career burglar' given two years

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7888853.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A man described as a career burglar - with 31 previous convictions for the offence - has been jailed for two years at Belfast Crown Court.

Declan McNally, 24 and of no fixed address, was told that even at his young age he had an appalling record.

The court heard he committed his first break-in aged 14 and had breached every probation order previously made.

McNally was arrested at the end of last March after breaking into Bishop's restaurant in Belfast's Bradbury Place.

He still had with him the brick he had used to smash the window to get in as he walked away.

McNally caused £400 worth of damage to the window and a cash till, which was empty at the time of the raid.

The break-in came just 48 days after McNally had been given a two-year suspended jail term for breaking into Cafe Renoir, 200 yards away from Bishop's.

As well as the 31 convictions for burglary, McNally had 40 others for offences including robbery, criminal damage, going equipped for theft and handling stolen goods.

Jailing him for two years, with a further 18 months probation, Judge Norman Lockie said McNally clearly "needed help and support to break the offending cycle" and warned him this was "maybe a final chance" to work with the probation service.