A Crown barrister informed Mr Justice Fowler it was anticipated that the trial would last around five days
15:24, 01 Jul 2026
The Crown Court at Laganside in Belfast(Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)
A Co Down man appeared in court on Wednesday where he denied three offences including being a member of the UVF.
James Louis Reid, from Dakota Avenue in Newtownards, appeared in the dock of Belfast Crown Court where he was arraigned on three charges.
After confirming his identity, the 44-year old was charged with blackmail.
He is accused of making ‘an unwarranted demand of the sum of £7000, subsequently amended to £4000’ from a male ‘with menaces’ between October 15 and 20, 2022.
When asked how he pleaded, Reid answered “not guilty,”
He was then charged with belonging to a proscribed organisation, namely the Ulster Volunteer Force, between October 15 and 20, 2022.
Asked by a court clerk to enter a plea to this charge, the accused replied “not guilty.”
Reid was also charged with, and denied, being concerned in supplying the Class A drug cocaine on dates unknown between April 15, 2020 and October 17, 2021.
Following this, a Crown barrister informed Mr Justice Fowler it was anticipated that the trial would last around five days and a date for the hearing to commence was then set as November 30.
Mr Justice Fowler re-listed the case for review in September then addressed Reid as he stood in the dock and said: “You have now been arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
“I have to warn you – and I’m sure you’ve been warned by your counsel – that credit starts to be lost at an increasing rate once that happens in these cases.”
Reid was then released on continuing bail ahead of his trial.
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