Man with over 100 offences on record back in jail

A MAN who has served a jail term for killing a frail Coventry pensioner in a subway mugging, and who has more than 100 offences on his record, is back behind bars.

Daniel McDaid was jailed for ten months by a judge at Warwick Crown Court after pleading guilty to three burglaries at the same Spar store.

McDaid, 40, who was living at the Salvation Army hostel in Coventry, had targeted the Spar store in Hay Lane, in the city centre, for the first time in the early hours of February 6.

After breaking into the shop he stole four bottles of spirits - and then returned just two or three hours later to steal four more.

Prosecutor Suzanne Francis said that when he was arrested, McDaid made no comment, and was granted bail.

Then on February 21 he broke into the store again by smashing a window in the front door with a brick.

But he was seen by a member of the public who contacted the police and prevented him from leaving by pushing him back inside as he tried to get out through the broken door.

After trying to get into an office, he forced his way into a store room and damaged a further door to get away.

When McDaid, who in January had a sentence for earlier shoplifting matters deferred until July, was arrested he explained he had committed them to support a £50 a day drug habit.

Miss Francis added that McDaid had 129 ‘theft and kindred offences’ on his record.

And in 2008 had been jailed for ten years for offences including the manslaughter of a frail 79-year-old who had died after he had mugged her in a city subway.

David Murray, defending, said: “His real mitigation is his guilty pleas.

“They are repeat offences, but the first two are within a few hours of eachother.

“But then, having been released, he went back and committed a further offence.”

Jailing McDaid, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told him: “On the 23rd of January the justices gave you a chance when they deferred sentence on six shoplifting matters.

“But on the 6th of February you went to the Spar and stole bottles of drink. I don’t know whether you drank them yourself. I doubt it, because you returned later and stole another four bottles.

“You were arrested and bailed, and on bail 15 days later you went back and kicked the door down and stole £401 worth of alcohol.”