An alleged UVF enforcer in a £7,000 blackmail plot has obtained High Court permission to return to live in the “heartland” of his suspected paramilitary activity.
James Reid (43) was granted the bail variation amid claims he made menacing cash demands from a businessman in the greater Belfast area.
Reid, of Brooklands Avenue in Dundonald, is charged with membership of the East Belfast UVF.
He also faces counts of blackmail, attempted intimidation of a witness, and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
He was arrested as part of an investigation into the encounter at the injured party’s premises back in October 2022.
Prosecutors claimed Reid travelled to the location with two co-accused before getting out of their car to speak to the businessman.
Based on audio recordings, the defendant allegedly stated he had been sent from the Newtownards Road,
The court heard he informed the complainant that he could check with ‘Mackers’ - believed to be a reference to reported east Belfast loyalist Stephen Matthews.
During their conversation, the businessman was told his son had run up a £5,000 drug debt which was being increased due to a £2,000 fine, according to the prosecution.
A Crown lawyer contended: “James Reid stated ‘He got coke off me, he got f*****g drugs off me’.”
In July this year the accused secured bail to an alternative address under conditions which included abiding by an exclusion zone.
Opposing his bid to be allowed to return home, counsel argued that it would put him too close to the alleged victim.
“It is what I would describe as the heartland of where this applicant would carry out his offending,” the barrister submitted.
“It is very much the Crown case that this applicant is linked to the East Belfast UVF.”
Further concerns centred on the scale of suspected loyalist paramilitary-related items seized from Reid’s home.
“There were UVF pictures, UVF armbands, batons and loyalist paramilitary memorabilia located within this address,” counsel added.
Defence lawyers based the application on delays in the case reaching trial and issues around the health of a woman living at Reid’s current address.
Mr Justice Fowler was also told that if the accused moved home he could carry out shopping duties and act as a carer for his mother.
“He has abided by all of his conditions at all times, including that exclusion zone,” his barrister stressed.
Granting Reid’s application to vary bail, the judge ruled: “On balance, I’m prepared to allow the change of address to his mother’s address.
“All of the other restrictions will remain in place - that’s the tagging and the corridor through which he is allowed to travel.”
