Loyalist threat accused Bangor man Robert Beck to remain in custody, judge rules

A man who allegedly threatened to kill Jamie Bryson and other loyalists by having them “whacked” must remain in custody, Northern Ireland’s most senior judge has ruled.

Robert Beck was refused High Court bail on charges of making a menacing telephone call and warning on social media that they are legitimate targets who will be attacked on sight.

Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan said she had no confidence the 60-year-old would comply with any release conditions amid claims he sent police on a “wild goose chase” to track down a mobile phone.

Beck, of Seacliff Road in Bangor, Co Down, faces counts of threatening to kill Mr Bryson and breaching a restraining order not to contact him.

He was arrested after the high-profile loyalist activist received a call from an unknown number on June 1.

Mr Bryson recognised the voice of a man who identified himself as Bobby Beck, according to the prosecution.

The caller allegedly declared that he and a number of other men had until midnight before they would be “whacked”.

Mr Bryson, who recorded the final part of the call, took it as a threat against his life.

Thirty minutes later he was made aware of a posting on Facebook said to refer to him and other individuals.

It stated they “need to look over their shoulders, they are targets and will be attacked on sight, the gloves are off”, the court heard.

When arrested Beck denied making any threats and claimed to have lost his phone.

He maintained someone else must have been responsible and that he was the victim of a plot to frame him.

Beck had previously been granted bail, but was returned to custody for allegedly flouting the terms of his residence, curfew and a prohibition on having a mobile phone.

One of the suspected breaches related to the discovery of two devices at his home.

A defence barrister argued that one of the phones was defunct, while the other mobile belonged to another man who left it behind after staying with Beck a number of weeks ago.

His bid to be re-released had been adjourned for a week so police could try to establish ownership of the device.

Despite indications from Beck that it belonged to a man from the New Lodge area of Belfast, all investigations have drawn a blank. 

Prosecution counsel told the court there were 29 people with the same name on the police system, but none in that area of the city.

Six individuals were contacted as part of a further trawl, but none of them knew anything about Beck or the mobile.

Dame Siobhan said: “It looks like police have been sent on something of a wild goose chase to try to find (out about) this other phone.”

Refusing bail, the Chief Justice held that the defendant’s explanation lacked any real credibility.

She  added: “That means I could not be confident that bail conditions would be adhered to.”

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