A 36-year-old Derry man with a history of committing offences of ‘extreme violence’ has been jailed for inflicting ‘life changing’ injuries to an individual he had been drinking with in a local bar.

Barry Whittle, of Clonmeen Drive in the Strathfoyle area of the city, was given a four-year custodial sentence for punching his drinking partner in Duke's Bar, Duke Street, on August 17, 2014.

Sentencing the defendant this morning, Judge Elizabeth McCaffrey said she was adding an extra two years to the sentence because of Whittle's history of inflicting violence.

Judge McCaffrey also imposed, for the first time locally, a Violent Offences Prevention Order on Whittle.

The Order will be active for a three-year period when the parole licencing commissioners decide it's safe to release Whittle from prison.

It was a necessary measure in order to protect the public from harm once Whittle is released from prison, Judge McCafferty explained.

The defendant was convicted by a jury earlier this year of assaulting a man in Duke's Bar in the Waterside area of the city.

In the single punch attack Whittle fractured the victim's skull causing bleeding to the brain, as well as fracturing his nose, cheekbone and eye socket.

He and his victim had been drinking in the bar together for several hours, having met earlier in the day for the first time.

The 36-year-old then got involved in an argument with his victim and told the barman "I'll sort this out".

The victim was said to have kicked over several bar stools when he was ordered out of the premises by the barman.

When he returned to apologise for his behaviour Whittle punched him in the face, inflicting multiple fractures which were described in court as ‘life-changing’.

The court heard that Whittle has a total of sixty-seven criminal convictions in Northern Ireland, eighteen for assaults and four for serious assaults.

He also has convictions for violent crimes in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

Above - Whittle pictured at a previous court appearance.

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