Northern Ireland

David Tweed's stepdaughter criticises unionist politicians who lauded the 'paedophile and a violent thug'' following his death in a crash

Former rugby international David Tweed. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker
Former rugby international David Tweed. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Former rugby international David Tweed. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker

THE STEPDAUGHTER of David Tweed has criticised those who lauded the former Ireland rugby international after his death last month.

Mr Tweed (61) who went on to become a DUP and TUV politician after his sporting career which included four caps for Ireland, died in a road crash in Co Antrim.

Amanda Brown said he was a paedophile and a violent thug, and challenged politicians who put out complimentary statements in the wake of his death.

Prominent unionist politicians, including North Antrim MP Ian Paisley, his DUP colleague Mervyn Storey, and TUV leader Jim Allister, paid tribute to Mr Tweed after his death and have since declined to distance themselves from the comments.

The former Orangeman was convicted of child sex offences in 2012 and sentenced to eight years in prison.

He was released in October 2016 after his convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal in Belfast.

Ms Brown said some of the sentiments in the statements were "massively disrespectful to all victims of abuse".

"When people are passing comment about this great man after knowing what he was convicted of, to still support him, that's the message that they're giving out to other victims," she told Radio Ulster's Talkback programme

Ms Brown became Mr Tweed's stepdaughter when she was four after her mum became involved with him.

She said outside the home he was a very well-respected man, particularly with his rugby career, before becoming an elected councillor for the DUP which she said gave him "a bit of status".

Mr Tweed went on to join the TUV, and served as a councillor in Ballymena.

However Ms Brown said he was different at home, where domestic violence was commonplace.

"We never seen him hit her but we heard it and hearing the thumps and the thuds and hearing her yells, and having these images in your mind of what potentially was going on," she said.

Ms Brown said her stepfather sexually abused her.

"He would threaten me with physical violence if I said anything, he had told me that if I told anybody, he broke down and cried and told me he would go to jail if I told anybody, and that if he went to jail then we would be on the streets, that my brother and I would end up in an orphanage and wouldn't see our mum again," she said.

She said he would threaten to kill her mother.

"He had threatened at one point to burn the house down with my mum and my sisters in it," she said.