Man jailed for threat to kill Jamie Bryson and other north Down loyalists, but will be freed soon

Robert Beck was handed the jail sentence at Newtownards Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, but the 61-year-old will soon be freed as he has already served more than nine months.

Beck, with an address on the Seacliff Road in Bangor, was due to go on trial charged with four counts of making threats to kill and one of breaching a restraining order, all committed on June 1.

Loyalist activist Mr Bryson was due to testify against Beck when defence counsel Aaron Thompson revealed the defendant accepted his guilt on the threat to kill charges.

Offering no evidence on the further charge of breaching the restraining order, a prosecuting lawyer told the court that just after 8.30am on June 1, Mr Bryson received a call from an unknown number and when he answered it, a male voice identified himself as ‘Bobby Beck’ and Mr Bryson recognised the voice as belonging to the defendant.

Specifically naming Mr Bryson and other prominent loyalists, Beck threatened they “had until midnight or they would be whacked” and around half an hour later, there was a social media posting warning that the named men “need to be looking over their shoulders …legitimate targets … will be attacked on sight … the gloves are off … up the SEA UDA”.

Beck was arrested and questioned but he claimed he had nothing to do with the incidents.

The court heard that Mr Bryson managed to make a partial recording of the call but Beck denied he was the caller.

Lodging a plea in mitigation Mr Thompson conceded that Beck “has a bee in his bonnet for whatever reason” and he accepted there were previous, relevant convictions for similar offending in relation to the same intended targets.

In June 2021 Beck was handed sentences totalling eight months after he admitted harassing Mr Bryson, using a public communications network to send him a message that he knew to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.

He had also admitted causing criminal damage to walls and advertising hoardings in Ards and Bangor and making a threat to kill in July 2020.

In addition to the 10-month jail sentence, District Judge Mark Hamill on Thursday also imposed a three-year restraining order.