Man with 76 criminal convictions warned as he is sent to jail again

Kevin Barry Devenney was jailed for offences arising from a creeper burglary in the Oldpark area of Belfast last February.

Devenney appeared at Belfast Crown Court where he admitted six offences - including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst disqualified.

From Mill Road in Newtownabbey, Devenney was handed a sentence of three and a half years by Judge Geoffrey Miller QC, who said the sentence would be split between 21 months in custody and 18 months on licence upon his release. He was also banned from driving for five years.

After being told about Devenney’s long history of drugs misuse, his criminal record and the fact he has spend a large period of his life in custody, Judge Miller told the defendant: “Unless you grow up you are going to spend, if you live long enough, the remainder of your life going in and out of jail for increasing periods.”

Devenney was jailed for breaking into a house in the Oldpark area in the early hours, whilst the householder slept.

Judge Miller noted that Devenney had spent much of his adult life in custody,

He advised Devenney to address his substance misuse, and recommended that as part of his period on licence, he attend a drugs and alcohol treatment programme.