Man convicted of musician’s manslaughter in Derry has his probation revoked

A man jailed for the manslaughter of Derry musician Jim Gilchrist was today sent back to prison for failing to comply with the probation aspect of his sentence.
In 2008, 26 year old Daniel Young of no fixed abode was sentenced to ten years detention and two years probation for the manslaughter of Jim Gilchrist in September 2005. He was released in July of last year.
The case was heard in Derry today by Mr. Justice Tracey.
A prosecuting barrister said that since that period Young had been convicted of several offences and was currently awaiting trial on a charge of bringing drugs into Magilligan Prison.
He said that Young had failed to reside at an address agreed with the probation service and had failed to engage in his probation.
Defence barrister Mr. Eoghain Devlin called the defendant’s mother to give evidence on his behalf.
The mother, Mrs. Maddoc pleaded with the court not to send her son back to prison.
The judge said that the probation service did not make applications to breach someone like this ‘lightly’.
He said that Young had been ‘extremely fortunate’ that a plea to manslaughter had been accepted especially in a case where Mr. Gilchrist had been beaten unconscious and then thrown into the River Foyle.
The judge said that it was clear that Young ‘hasn’t learned anything’.
He added that he was revoking the probation order because Young had failed to adhere to it and sentenced him to 18 months in prison.