Kettering man who won award for turning his life around is back behind bars

A man who won a Prince’s Trust award for managing to turn away from a life of crime is back in prison.

By The Newsroom

Published 29th Jun 2019, 07:00 BST

John Paul McKeegans, formerly of Kettering, but currently of HMP Woodhill, won a regional Prince’s Trust award for the work he did on a 14-week rehabilitation course in 2006 after spending his youth in and out of the courts.

He had left home at 12 and started stealing cars and shoplifting but vowed to stop committing crime after he was given the award aged 28.

Sadly, McKeegans was unable to keep his promise and he started offending once again. Now, after committing a further string of crimes, the 41-year-old is now starting a 40-week prison sentence after being found guilty of theft, three counts of fraud in Kettering, failing to surrender to custody and a burglary at St Andrew’s Street, Kettering at Northampton Magistrates’ court on June 7.