A leading loyalist, Mr Billy Wright, told Belfast Crown Court yesterday he had never issued death threats to a divorced mother of four or her teenage son.
Mrs Gwen Reed (42) and her son, Thomas, claim Mr Wright made the threats on August 10th, 1995, the morning after she had identified two other men as members of a punishment squad who attacked her daughter and her boyfriend.
Mr Wright was in the witness box for a little under half ban hour during which he was asked about the circumstances surrounding the threats he allegedly made.
He claimed he was in his car when he first confronted Thomas Reed about threats the teenager had allegedly made to a woman on the night of the punishment beating.
Mr Wright said he warned the teenager that he had told the woman to contact the police if he threatened her again.
At this point, Mr Wright claimed, he heard screaming and shouting and looked up to see a hysterical Mrs Reed and one of her daughters running towards his car. Mr Wright admitted that he may have shouted at her before driving off and that later he himself telephoned his local RUC stations about the matter.
At the end of his evidence, the chief prosecutor, Mr Geoffrey Foote QC, asked leave to question Mr Wright about any criminal record he might have.
Lord Justice McCollum will give his ruling on the application this morning.