An offender who “effectively sabotaged his own life” through crime has been handed jail sentences amounting to 59 months for rioting and throwing a petrol bomb at police.

While the 32-year-old was given a 56-month sentence for rioting, Judge Patrick McGurgan activated a three-month suspended sentence imposed just 12 hours before the defendant launched the petrol bomb.

Ordering Pepper to serve half his sentence in custody and half under supervised licence conditions, Judge McGurgan told him “it beggars belief that you got a suspended sentence that morning,” and then threw a petrol bomb at police that night.

At an earlier hearing, Pepper, from Westland Road, Portadown, pleaded guilty to three offences including rioting on June 12, 2025 as well as rioting and throwing a petrol bomb on June 13, 2025.

During his sentencing remarks at Craigavon Crown Court, Judge McGurgan outlined how there was “significant public disorder” in Portadown where bins were set ablaze, roads were blocked and debris thrown onto the train tracks.

In addition, “over 100 people attacked police who had set up a line to try to maintain order in the town centre,” with many rioters throwing various bricks, bottles, fireworks and other missiles.

The disorder was so significant, said the judge, that the use of “attenuated energy projectiles, police dogs and water cannon had been authorised”.

Turning to Pepper’s offending, the court heard he had been captured on a YouTube video “approaching police lines and throwing an object that did not connect or cause any injuries”.

Riot police on duty in Portadown in June 2025. Picture: Tony Hendron

As he turned back “to whoever was filming it, your face was in plain sight,” the judge told Pepper.

The following day, June 13, Pepper appeared in court for disorderly behaviour and was “fortunate” to be given a suspended prison sentence.

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That evening however, and while celebrating his birthday by getting drunk and taking cocaine, the 32-year-old was rioting again.  This time, a police evidence-gathering team recorded him throwing at least nine objects at police during 90 minutes of being “actively involved in rioting”.

"Most significantly,” Judge McGurgan said Pepper’s actions culminated in him lighting a petrol bomb and hurling it at police officers.

Given his record of 164 previous convictions, Pepper was “well known to police” so having recognised him, the 32-year-old was arrested and despite denials at interview, he later admitted his guilt.

Defence counsel previously highlighted that Pepper has been in and out of custody so many times that he has served nine of the last 15 years in jail and “has effectively sabotaged his own life”.

On Thursday (September 3), Judge McGurgan revealed that having been in custody since his arrest in June 2025, Pepper has failed multiple drug tests and refuses to apply for any prison jobs or rehabilitation programmes.

He said that while Pepper has been assessed as posing a high likelihood of reoffending, he was not classified as a dangerous offender.

"Excessive use of drugs and alcohol has been the bane of your life since teenage years,” Judge McGurgan told Pepper, adding that given his attitude in prison, question marks remain “that you are ready or willing to look to rehabilitation”.

Imposing the 59-month sentence, the judge told the court that except for Pepper’s guilty plea, he would have imposed a seven-year sentence.