Latest news with #JamieBryson
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Nama trial: Jamie Bryson denies leaking secret messages to newspaper
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has denied leaking secret messages he exchanged with a Sinn Féin politician to a newspaper to try to cause political his trial at Belfast Crown Court, he said he did not know how private messages on Twitter with Sinn Féin's Daithí McKay in 2015 ended up being published in The Irish News a year Bryson also rejected the accusation that he broke the law in his dealings with Mr McKay who was the chair of the finance committee at Stormont at the time."It was entirely the cut and thrust of politics," he said. "There are many things that go on in the world of politics, day in day out, that would make your hair curl, but they're not criminal offences."Mr Bryson, 35, from Rosepark, Donaghadee denies a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office in September McKay, 43, from Loughan Road, Dunnamanagh, denies a charge of misconduct in public Crown's case is that Mr McKay and Mr Bryson manipulated how evidence was presented to a committee meeting on 23 September the committee, Mr Bryson spoke about how Northern Ireland property loans were handled by the National Asset Management Agency, known as Nama. He made an allegation about the then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Peter Robinson, which was later denied and described by the politician as "scurrilous".The prosecution say Mr Bryson and Mr McKay were involved in an attempt to subvert the rules of the committee, in order to cause "considerable political embarrassment" to a number of people including Mr Robinson. At the centre of the case are screenshots of direct messages said to have been exchanged on Twitter between Mr Bryson and Mr McKay before the committee meeting in question in of their existence first emerged almost a year later when the Irish News published a story by journalist Allison Morris claiming that Sinn Féin had "coached" Mr Bryson before the committee barrister Toby Hedworth KC pressed Mr Bryson on how the Irish News learned of the Twitter messages which were detailed in the newspaper Bryson responded: "I did not provide those messages to Allison Morris."He insisted there was nothing untoward about his contact with Stormont politicians, on all sides, on issues of told the court it was "standard political procedure". Bryson denies any deals with McKay Mr McKay was a high-profile member of Sinn Féin in Bryson has admitted sending him private messages but denied making any deals with court was told that in a police interview during the investigation into the case, Mr Bryson described the screenshots of the messages as "potentially doctored images on social media".In court, Mr Bryson said he accepted that he exchanged messages, the screenshots at the centre of the case were "not a complete transcript, not a complete picture".Another man, who was a Sinn Féin member at the time, is also on O'Hara, 41, from Lisnahunshin Road, Cullybackey, faces a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, which he Crown alleges he, like Mr McKay, was involved in an exchange of messages with Mr Bryson in the run up to the committee Bryson told the court that Mr McKay then put him in contact with Mr O' was suggested that Mr O'Hara's role as a Sinn Féin worker meant he operated as a "back channel" to Mr McKay, but Mr Bryson rejected non-jury trial, in front of Judge Gordon Kerr KC, began last judge has told Mr Bryson to focus on answering the questions which he is asked and not to give trial continues.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Nama trial: Jamie Bryson says he sent private messages to Sinn Féin's Daithí McKay
The loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has admitted sending private messages to Sinn Féin's Daithí McKay before appearing at a Stormont committee but denied they made a secret Bryson has been on trial for the past three weeks along with two others, including Mr McKay, on charges related to misconduct in public all deny the charges against themThe Crown's case is that Mr McKay and Mr Bryson manipulated how evidence was presented to a Northern Ireland Assembly committee meeting on 23 September 2015. The finance committee was investigating Northern Ireland property loans by the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).The finance committee meeting was chaired by Mr McKay, and the court heard that he and Mr Bryson exchanged a series of direct messages on Twitter in the weeks before the hearing. 'Not bosom buddies' During his appearance at the committee in 2015, Mr Bryson spoke about how Northern Ireland property loans were handled by the National Asset Management Agency, known as Nama. He made an allegation about the then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Peter Robinson, which was later denied and described by the politician as "scurrilous".Giving evidence in the trial for the first time, Mr Bryson told the court: "I made no agreement with Daithí McKay that he would do anything."He added: "We weren't bosom buddies. We'd spent probably the last three or four years kicking lumps out of each other in the media." Asked why he made contact with Mr McKay on Twitter before the committee meeting, Mr Bryson said he had lobbied all of the main parties on the committee before giving insisted he did not want to break any rules by appearing at the committee and claimed that the content of the Twitter exchanges showed this to be the Bryson told the court: "I don't say 'I'm coming along to tell a bunch of lies, help us out?'."The prosecution said Mr Bryson and Mr McKay were involved in an attempt to subvert the rules of the committee, in order to cause "considerable political embarrassment" to a number of people, including Mr Bryson, 35, from Rosepark, in Donaghadee, County Down, denies a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public McKay, 43, from Loughan Road, Dunamanagh, County Tyrone, denies a charge of misconduct in public office. Another man, who was a Sinn Féin member at the time, is also on O'Hara, 41, from Lisnahunshin Road, Cullybackey, County Antrim, faces a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, which he Crown alleges he, like Mr McKay, was involved in an exchange of messages with Mr Bryson in the run up to the committee Bryson told the court that Mr McKay put him in contact with Mr O' was suggested that Mr O'Hara's role as a Sinn Féin worker meant he operated as a "back channel" to Mr McKay but Mr Bryson rejected said: "I essentially took it as Mr McKay palming me off to a policy worker."Mr Bryson insisted he did "nothing improper" by giving evidence in the way he did to the Stormont committee about trial continues.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
‘I had no agreement with Daithí McKay': Jamie Bryson takes the stand as defence case begins in Nama trial
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has told a court he 'absolutely, emphatically' had no agreement with former Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay over his appearance at a Stormont committee that sparked the so-called Nama trial.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Nama trial': Judge says hearings not to be commented on social media
The judge in the trial involving loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has warned defendants in the case not to be commenting on the hearings on social of the lawyers complained about a defendant providing "live commentary" on Fahy KC said it was improper and complained to the Gordon Kerr KC said he agreed "100%" and said if it was happening it should stop. The exact contents of the alleged social media post and the name of the account concerned were not mentioned in Fahy is representing one of three men on trial, Thomas O' case centres on a meeting of the Finance Committee at Stormont in September 2015. It is alleged that how evidence was presented was prosecution say that in advance of the hearing, private messages were exchanged between Mr Bryson, the Sinn Féin chair of the committee Daithí McKay and Mr O'Hara, who was a non-elected Sinn Féin member at the time. Mr Bryson, 35, from Rosepark, Donaghadee, denies a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public O'Hara, 41, from Lisnahunshin Road, Cullybackey, denies the same McKay, 43, from Loughan Road, Dunnamanagh, denies a charge of misconduct in public prosecution say they were involved in an attempt to subvert the rules of the committee, in order to cause "considerable political embarrassment" to a number of people including the then First Minister Peter Robinson. 'Inappropriate' The Finance Committee hearing was about how Northern Ireland property loans were handled by the National Asset Management Agency, known as the start of day six of the trial, Mr Fahy raised the issue of social media posts by an unnamed defendant. He said the reputation of some legal representatives was being judge said: "It is entirely inappropriate for a defendant in a trial to be commenting on an account on social media."It is quite wrong and should not happen."If it has been done, it should certainly not continue."The non-jury trial began last week. The Prosecution has now concluded its trial is due to resume on Tuesday.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Nama trial': Jamie Bryson allegedly sent messages to Sinn Féin
A court has been told that the loyalist activist Jamie Bryson allegedly sent a series of private messages to Sinn Féin before appearing at a Stormont were said to have been sent on Twitter via direct message. A number of the alleged remarks were critical of the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party).In one of them, Mr Bryson is alleged to have written: "Who would ever have thought it, me and SF working together as the DUP squirm! Unreal!"Mr Bryson, 35, from Rosepark, Donaghadee, is accused of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, related to a Finance Committee meeting in 2015 at Stormont. He denies the charge. The then chair of the committee was Sinn Féin's Daithí Crown's case is that Mr McKay and another Sinn Féin member exchanged messages with Mr Bryson before the committee meeting on 23 September prosecution at Belfast Crown Court say that how the evidence was ultimately presented to the Stormont hearing was his appearance at the committee in 2015, Mr Bryson spoke about how Northern Ireland property loans were handled by the National Asset Management Agency, known as Nama. He made an allegation about the then First Minister Peter Robinson of the DUP, which was later denied and described by the politician as "scurrilous".The prosecution say there was an attempt to subvert the rules of the committee, in order to cause "considerable political embarrassment" to a number of people including Mr Robinson. Mr McKay, 43, from Loughan Road, Dunnamanagh, denies a charge of misconduct in public man, who was a Sinn Féin member at the time, is also on O'Hara, 40, from Lisnahunshin Road, Cullybackey, faces a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, which he Crown alleges he was involved in an exchange of messages with Mr message which included the line "me and SF working together as the DUP squirm" was allegedly sent by Mr Bryson to Mr O' court was also told that Mr O'Hara allegedly wished Mr Bryson well before his committee appearance by writing: "Good luck tomorrow, everyone wants to hear you get this out in the public domain."He later allegedly added: "You'll be 'trending' on Twitter by teatime! Lol."The court was told Mr Bryson responded: "Lol! One way or another it's a big story and DUP are coming out of it badly."The court was also told that a message from Mr O'Hara's account advised Mr Bryson not to refer to Peter Robinson by name until the end of his evidence. Evidence based on screenshots The prosecution said Mr Bryson was put in touch with Mr O'Hara by Mr McKay, who at the time was the chair of the Finance is also alleged that Mr Bryson and Mr McKay exchanged messages before the involvement of Mr O' prosecution evidence is based on a series of screenshots of messages from the Twitter accounts of the three court was told that an expert who had studied the screenshots concluded that while no anomalies were identified, it could not be ruled out that they were modified or of the messages were the solicitor Paul Tweed briefly gave evidence to the cross-examination, he was asked about a legal letter he wrote to Amazon after Mr Bryson published a book about Nama entitled The Three-Headed Tweed was asked if any legal action was forthcoming after the letter was solicitor said he was limited in what he could say due to his obligations in terms of client non-jury trial, in front of a judge, began at the start of last trial continues.
