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26 Mar 2026

Man (19) who daubed sectarian graffiti in Altnagelvin Hospital mother and baby feeding room jailed

Jailing Darragh McGrath from Dacre Terrace, Judge Neil Rafferty K.C. said while the nine month suspended sentence was too long he believed it merited an immediate custodial sentence

husband-and-wife-charged-at-derry-magistrates-court-with-drugs-and-money-laundering-offences-following-organised-crime-investigation-by-the-psni

Derry's Bishop Street courthouse

Reporter:

Court Reporter

31 Mar 2025 1:30 PM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

A 19-year-old man who daubed sectarian graffiti on a wall inside a mother and baby feeding room in Altnagelvin Hospital last month has been jailed for four months at Derry County Court after he appealed against a nine month suspended sentence originally imposed for the offence at the local Magistrates' Court.
Jailing Darragh McGrath from Dacre Terrace, Judge Neil Rafferty K.C. said while the nine month suspended sentence was too long he believed it merited an immediate custodial sentence.
"It is audacious to appeal against a suspended sentence but people have the right to do that", Judge Rafferty said.
The court was told that on February 12 of this year staff in Altnagelvin Hospital noticed that entry had been forced into the mother and baby feeding room. 
Inside they discovered that sectarian graffiti had been daubed on one of the walls. CCTV footage was examined and McGrath was seen entering the room.
A barrister for the Public Prosecution Service said McGrath committed the offence just five days after he had been released from custody.
Appealing against the suspended sentence, a defence barrister said McGrath had been a looked after child in the care of the Western Trust for most of his teenage years. He said in January of last year McGrath's care was withdrawn by the Trust after which he was homeless for most of 2024.
The barrister said McGrath, who has been an alcohol since the age of 16, spent three months in custody last year for an offence which was eventually withdrawn. He said McGrath was currently in custody awaiting sentencing for another offence.
"A centre has been identified in England for teenagers who have alcohol addiction. He hopes to attend that centre and an immediate custodial sentence today will impact on that", the barrister said.
Judge Rafferty said the sentence imposed in the Magistrates' Court "should not have been suspended". He said McGrath, who had 107 previous criminal convictions, had vandalised with sectarian graffiti a mother and baby feeding room.
"Places of refuge such as schools and hospitals, places like that, are entitled to the full protection of the law. Those who commit offences in a hospital setting must expect to go to jail", he said.

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