14 DAY TRIAL // Last week, Robert Darragh, 21, of Hopewell Crescent, Northern Ireland, received a two-year prison sentence after having the bad idea of tagging himself in a riot photo posted on Facebook.
According to a judge in Belfast, Darragh will have to spend one year in prison while the remainder of the sentence will be served on license (UK term used for prisoners released on parole).
The judge convicted Darragh on the charge of rioting after the suspect participated in last year's Orange Walk parades that took place in Belfast on July 13, 2015.
Violent fights broke out at the demonstrations, and a total of 29 police officers suffered injuries after being pelted with debris, with one policeman almost losing an ear.
Prosecutors said they captured an unknown man (later proved to be Darragh) on CCTV surveillance footage leaning on a wall before the parade. During the riots that subsequently broke out, Darragh placed a rag over his face, put up his hoodie, and then participated in the violent events.
Darragh's social media mistake uncovered his real identity
CCTV cameras captured him throwing various items at police forces, but prosecutors couldn't prove he ever hit or injured somebody. The case also revealed that Darragh made a second crucial mistake that led to his conviction.
In the days after the riot, Darragh's narcissism led him to tag himself in photos of the riots uploaded on Facebook. This proved to be his biggest mistake since police were also scanning social media, looking for clues, and used this small detail to link the masked man to his real identity.
Darragh was arrested and admitted all charges. As BBC reports, he tried to justify his actions by saying he was on a three-day drinking binge and was not in the full capacity of his normal train of thought. The suspect also showed shame and regret for his actions, which helped him receive a lenient sentence.