An amateur boxer turned prolific burglar has been jailed for a spate of break-ins at Belfast businesses.
Brendan Patrick McKee (30), of Duncairn Parade, was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court to a year in jail followed by two years on probation.
McKee, who has 98 previous convictions, over half of which are for burglaries, was yesterday sentenced for six burglaries and seven counts of fraud by false representation.
The first burglary occurred at business premises at Marquis Street on March 29, 2017.
When the owner opened her store that morning, she discovered the reception area had been ransacked and £1,000 taken from the till.
A hole had been cut in the roof to gain access and McKee was linked to the break-in via blood left at the scene.
McKee also admitted breaking into a further five premises on Belfast's Antrim Road on September 27, 2021.
That day, police received a report of a burglary at a medical centre. Around noon, a private office was broken into and a handbag containing a purse and bank cards was stolen.
Later that day McKee entered a dental practice and stole a laptop from the staff canteen.
Three beauty businesses on the same road were also burgled by McKee that afternoon. He damaged sunbeds as well as stealing stock and cash.
He also made a series of purchases at premises on the Antrim Road on September 27 using the bank cards he had stolen from the medical centre earlier that day.
CCTV footage from some of the incidents was viewed and McKee was identified and arrested. During interview, he admitted the charges.
Defence barrister Joe Brolly said that in his youth, McKee was a promising boxer and at one point was an Irish amateur champion.
This, Mr Brolly said, was cut short by McKee's addiction to drugs which led to criminality to fund his habit.
The barrister added McKee is now working to address his addiction issues.
Judge Philip Gilpin spoke of the "harm and upset" caused to those affected by his crime spree.