Desmond was born in Stoke on Trent, England in 1972. He had a happy working class childhood until his mother passed away when he was aged 11. Joining the army at an early age Des saw an active service life serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Cyprus, and the Middle East. Des left the army in late 2004 and has since been living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Having been cast in various short films across the U.K. over the past few years Des continued his acting training early in 2018 and has since been cast in various roles such as a lead detective in a Crime Documentary for C.B.S. shot in Dublin, Ireland and a featured role in Liam Neeson's new film Normal People that was shot in Belfast. He is proficient in the use of firearms and small unit tactics which has recently put this to good use in the BBC drama Line of Duty. Des has been recently honing his screen acting skills at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin.