A Scottish council worker has been warned he could be jailed after he admitted holding fundraising events in support of the Ulster Volunteer Force loyalist paramilitary group – a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Douglas Forsyth used imagery and insignia connected to the banned terror organisation to help promote social events held at the Blair Halls in Tranent, East Lothian.
Forsyth, 59, printed up posters and tickets for the gatherings depicting the “Red Hand of Ulster” emblem along with the phrases “For God and Ulster” and “No 1 Platoon”.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told images of the venue were posted on Facebook showing a large UVF flag on a wall and the events featured an Orange flute band and representatives from the Loyalist Prisoners support group.
The Blair Halls is home to the Tranent True Blues Orange Lodge that has around 50 members.
Prosecutor Sanah Idrees told the court Forsyth, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, was arrested by police at Edinburgh Airport as he returned from a holiday abroad in April 2023.
A search warrant was granted and officers later raided his home and the nearby Blair Halls where Forsyth was described as “a key holder and occasional licence holder”.
Ms Idrees said: “Various items were recovered following the search of the accused’s home address and the search of premises at the Blair Halls.
“These included UVF memorabilia, such as flags, UVF pin badges and UVF magazines, and tickets for events where the tickets depicted UVF imagery.
“Analysis of [seized] devices resulted in the recovery of still images and text messages posted by the accused for the purpose of encouraging people to attend the ticketed events referred to.”
The court heard Forsyth’s role at the Blair Halls was to ensure “events were well attended” and the events promoted on Facebook drew “heavily on UVF imagery and paramilitary insignia”.
The fiscal said: “He accepts that he used the foregoing – and its links with the UVF – in order to attract a larger audience to these events, events which were in themselves supportive of the UVF.
“However, it is accepted that there is no evidence that the money generated was provided to the UVF.”
Sheriff Graeme Watson was shown the posts that used “imagery that is unmistakably linked with the UVF” and depicted “a large ‘Red Hand of Ulster’ insignia which is accompanied by a caption ‘For God and Ulster’.
Ms Idrees added: “The ticket makes reference to ‘No.1 Platoon’. This has paramilitary connotations.”
Forsyth pleaded guilty to arranging meetings which he knew was to support a proscribed organisation, namely the UVF, and encourage individuals to attend between February 2019 and February 2022 when he appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday August 20.
The offences were prosecuted under sections 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
David Allan, defending, said all the money raised by his client at the events had gone towards the “running and maintenance of the Blair Halls”.
Sheriff Watson agreed to defer sentence for reports but added: “Obviously all sentencing options will be considered on the next occasion.”
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a proscribed terrorist organisation formed in 1965 and carried out a near 30 year campaign of murder and violence before announcing a ceasefire in 1994.
The terror group’s self-declared goals were to combat Irish republican paramilitaries, including the Provisional IRA, and to maintain Northern Ireland’s status as part of the United Kingdom.
The UVF was responsible for more than 500 deaths with the vast majority being Irish Catholic civilians who were often targeted at random.
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