Northern Ireland

Jamie Bryson asked to hand over seized Kingsmill massacre files to coroner

Loyalist Jamie Bryson at an earlier sitting of Belfast High Court. Picture by Mal McCann
Loyalist Jamie Bryson at an earlier sitting of Belfast High Court. Picture by Mal McCann Loyalist Jamie Bryson at an earlier sitting of Belfast High Court. Picture by Mal McCann

LOYALIST blogger Jamie Bryson has been asked by a coroner investigating the Kingsmill massacre to hand over files that he claims police have unlawfully seized.

The Coroners' Service has written to Mr Bryson days before he is due in Belfast High Court for a case challenging whether officers investigating an alleged door staff licensing breach had the right to take unrelated documents he contends are covered by journalistic privilege.

Mr Bryson (29), a blogger and commentator who edits the Unionist Voice website, is a temporary freelance member of the National Union of Journalists. He has used the website to publish articles about the Kingsmill murders.

The coroner's request for sight of Mr Bryson's source material – documents he says were taken by police – comes amid an ongoing inquest into the killing of 10 Protestant workmen by the IRA in January 1976.

10 Protestant workmen were shot dead by the IRA at Kingsmills, Co Armagh, in January 1976. Picture by Alan Lewis, Photopress
10 Protestant workmen were shot dead by the IRA at Kingsmills, Co Armagh, in January 1976. Picture by Alan Lewis, Photopress 10 Protestant workmen were shot dead by the IRA at Kingsmills, Co Armagh, in January 1976. Picture by Alan Lewis, Photopress

In the judicial review hearing on Wednesday, Mr Bryson will seek to challenge the legality of the warrant used by the PSNI to seize the material.

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The PSNI was executing the warrant on behalf of the Security Industry Authority – the statutory organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK.

Mr Bryson was arrested during August's raid and later released without charge. The investigation into an alleged offence of unlawfully supplying door staff continues. He denies any wrongdoing.

Mr Bryson said he wanted to help the Kingsmill families but expressed concern at the request for his papers.

"If I were to provide this documentation to the coroner then it would no longer be material held for the purposes of journalism and (the) PSNI could then retain material which they should never have in the first place as I would have waived journalistic privilege by providing material held in confidence to a third party," he said.

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