Daniel Barker, 33, was sentenced to a ten years and nine month jail term for a ‘vicious’ stabbing involving scissors in 2017.
Court records show he received a nine-week term in 2023 for assault by beating of an emergency worker. Magistrates said he had a ‘significant record of relevant previous convictions’ and was being recalled to custody.
The MoJ has confirmed he is still in prison.
Daniel Barker’s police mugshot released by police after the scissor attack (Image: Cumbria Police)
READ MORE: Barrow man jailed for 10 years for vicious scissor stabbing ‘ will now pay for what’s done’ – police
A first video on the Instagram page @barrow_barkz, which has over 1,100 followers, was uploaded in November 2025. 17 videos of him and fellow inmates rapping have since been posted on the account.
After being sent the videos by The Mail, the MoJ said it was ‘unacceptable’ and has ‘requested the removal of these posts and are currently investigating’.
The MoJ said prisoners are not permitted to have unsupervised access to the internet or any access to social media and can be punished if they access the internet without authorisation.
In one of the videos Barker raps: “I was living with the killers that I can’t name. Together we came through the hard days, blue lights, X5 car chase, ound guilty on a hard case, double figures, not a sentence that I can’t take.
“I swear on my life I can’t break, I’m just using the hands I was dealt at this card game. I must have took the wrong pathway. I feel safe while I’m holding on a sharp blade, trapped feeling like I can’t escape.”
A screenshot from the video (Image: Newsquest)
Other lyrics include: “The only things I’m not losing is my faith. Days, months, years, in this base, they really locked me in the cage.
“Barrow is where I’m born but the cells are where I’m raised. You can tell we’re not the same. You couldn’t live in hell for a day. My stories never change.
“I’m tired of feeling all this pain. Feds still want me in the frame like I’m the one to blame but I’m the one who gave. Climbing up ladders to stay away from the snakes.”
Bystanders were left stunned on the morning of October 12 2016 as a large section of Dalton Road was cordoned off with police tape after the scissor attack.
A police cordon between Specsavers and Murrays in Dalton Road and Paradise Street, Barrow, on October 12 (Image: The Mail)
The force used to strike the victim was so severe, the end of the scissors snapped off and was left embedded in his head. He was stabbed at least four times.
He was taken to Furness General Hospital but was immediately transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital by air ambulance because of the severity of his injuries.
He was eventually discharged but was left with a number of permanent scars, including a 1cm cut on the left side of his forehead, one on the top of his forehead by his hairline and two on his back.
Barker was charged with wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.
He had maintained his innocence at every court appearance and a trial was originally scheduled to take place in May 2017.
However, as witnesses and the victim prepared to give evidence, the then 25-year-old changed his plea to guilty.
The MoJ spokesman added: “We are cracking down on illegal phones and weapons getting into prisons including by improving windows, netting, and grilles.
“Our specialist team works with social media companies to investigate and take down all reported content posted illegally from within our prisons.”
Any offender caught with a phone or weapon in prison will face punishment, which could include additional time behind bars, the MoJ said.