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The judge deducted 150 days — or five months — from Barnes’ 4.5 year sentence, which was also reduced by 28 months for time already served.

Barnes, 30, has only two years and two months remaining to serve.

The accused, as a result, is receiving two times credit for time served, instead of 1.5 times credit for time served due to staff-shortage-caused lockdowns.

Lockdowns deprive the inmates of fresh air as well as access to their family, counsel and programs, said McMahon. As a result, lawyers must meet with their clients in courthouse cells because they’re unable to do so at the jails.

“Further, many lawyers now ask to speak to their clients in court since there’s a greater likelihood of them being seen in the cells of 361 (University Ave. courthouse) than at the institution,” said McMahon. This further congests the courts, triggers delays and causes backlogs.

Barnes, who was busted in Project Kronic — a year-long investigation that targeted the Driftwood Crips, a Toronto street gang — pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine, possession of a loaded Colt revolver and possession of a prohibited weapon.

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Barnes was arrested but released by police for cocaine trafficking in early 2017. Subsequent wiretaps captured him offering to sell powder and crack cocaine to various individuals between March 7 and April 8, 2017.

Police heard through the wires that Barnes and his brother planned to rob a man of his knapsack containing a firearm and roughly $10,000 cash, said McMahon.

Officers tried to disrupt the holdup to eliminate the violence and busted Barnes, who had the knapsack with $9,475 in cash but no gun. Barnes admitted he possessed the Colt earlier.

“The potential for violence and injury is significant and the fact he possessed a loaded firearm for some period of time is also extremely aggravating,” said McMahon.

spazzano@postmedia.com