Four-year sentence for burglary crimes

A 42-year-old man convicted of burglaries at homes in Eglinton almost two years ago has received a four-year sentence. 

John Joseph Connors was found guilty after trial at Londonderry Crown Court last month in relation to two counts of burglary in Alandale Park and Castle Park in Eglinton on 19th March 2022. Yesterday, March 7th, he was sentenced to two years in prison and two years on licence. 

Detective Inspector Hanbidge from The Police Service’s Criminal Investigation Division in Strand Road said: “Burglary is such an intrusive crime. For the victims of the homes targeted, what happened was extremely distressing and the impact significant. 

“While nothing was taken in either of the burglaries in Eglinton, the impact for the victims was equally upsetting. The thought of someone being in your home, a place rightly supposed to be a place of safety, can feel like a violation of your security. In one of the burglaries, the householder was awakened as the burglary was in progress, which must have been terrifying. The impact of burglary isn’t just financial either. It can also impact a person’s sense of security and that can impact on a person’s emotional well-being. 

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the victims for their co-operation and we hope that today’s outcome will provide some level of comfort to them.

“I also want to thank Police Service colleagues in both Derry City & Strabane for their work on this case. Our thanks also to the members of the public who provided information to us and helped with our investigation.

“Today’s outcome should make it clear to anyone thinking of carrying out this time of despicable crime that we will investigate and work tirelessly to hold you accountable before the Courts.” 

Detective Inspector Hanbidge added: “I also want to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who would like home security crime prevention advice to call us on 101 to arrange to speak to our Crime Prevention Officer. We continue to encourage anyone who sees any suspicious activity where they live to call and report it to us. The quicker you report it, the faster we can act and the information you provide could be crucial.”