Jamie Bryson cleared on charges of making a false statement to the UK’s private security industry regulator

The case against him was formally dismissed after no evidence was offered in the prosecution over door staff operating in the north Down area.

A judge at Belfast Magistrates’ Court also awarded him more than £500 legal costs in defending the long-running proceedings.

Mr Bryson later declared himself fully vindicated and hit out at the Security Industry Authority (SIA) for taking the case against him.

He stated outside court: “I have put manners on them, and trust they will learn a lesson”

The high-profile loyalist has been locked in a legal battle with the regulator for the last seven years.

In 2018 the SIA issued a private summons against him for allegedly providing false information to the authority.

A £450 invoice allegedly created by JJ Security Services Ltd, a company where Mr Bryson was a named director, formed part of the inquiries.

Previous courts heard it detailed five men being provided for six hours, at a rate of £15 per hour, at a bonfire event.

As part of the probe an SIA investigator wrote to Mr Bryson requesting information about the company.

In his reply the high-profile loyalist stated that JJ Security Services Ltd has never traded and he does not hold any relevant information.

Mr Bryson faced two charges of making a false statement to the authority.

Denying any wrongdoing throughout the process, he argued that the SIA’s powers did not extend to Northern Ireland.

Central to his defence was a further contention that the chair of the body had no right under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to delegate authority to investigators who examined his alleged activities.

In August 2023 Mr Bryson initially succeeded in having the summons dismissed at a preliminary stage focused on legal issues about the validity of the process.

However, the Court of Appeal ruled that decision was wrong in law and remitted for rehearing.

At Belfast Magistrates’ Court today it was confirmed that no evidence was now being offered by the prosecution.

Following the outcome Mr Bryson sought costs of just over £1,000 against the SIA.

Describing the case as “certainly out of the ordinary”, District Judge Steven Keown decided that he was entitled to a payout.

“At all stages the accused was an active participant in the proceedings, he strongly protested his innocence and did not shy away from full engagement with the court and trial process,” the judge said.

But he also held that Mr Bryson’s approach to the case contributed to the length of time it took to reach a conclusion.

“Given my view that the respondent contributed to a significant degree to the protracted nature of these proceedings, I propose to reduce this figure by 50% and award costs in the sum of £515.75,” Mr Keown confirmed.

Following the hearing Mr Bryson claimed the private prosecution had cost the taxpayer around a quarter of a million pounds.

“In the end, they ended up having to pay me,” he stated.

“It is welcome the District Judge has recognised the exceptional nature of this case and taken the almost unprecedented step of not only formally acquitting me of the malicious private prosecution charges, but on foot of my application awarding me costs against the SIA.”