No explanation has yet been provided why a leading loyalist had firearms and ammunition in the boot of his car, a court has been told.
However, a barrister for Winston Irvine said his “long-term commitment to peace-building in Northern Ireland” should be taken into account when he is sentenced for weapons offences.
Irvine, 49, of Ballysillan Road in north Belfast and co-accused Robin Workman, 54, of Shore Road in Larne, County Antrim were both remanded in custody following a sentencing hearing at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday.
They had previously admitted possession of a firearm and ammunition in suspicious circumstances.
They also admitted two counts of possessing a handgun without a certificate, one count of possessing ammunition without a certificate, possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing a firearm without a certificate.
Workman further pleaded guilty to possessing a .177 calibre air rifle without holding a firearm certificate.
The court heard that the offences were committed on June 8 2022.
A prosecuting barrister said that Workman transported a quantity of weapons and ammunition to the Glencairn area of Belfast in his van, which were then put into the boot of Irvine’s Volkswagen Tiguan car.
A short time later Irvine’s vehicle was stopped by police in Disraeli Street.
A long-barrelled firearm, two suspected pistols, several magazines and a large quantity of ammunition were discovered inside a bag in the boot.
The barrister said that during police interview Irvine had given a statement outlining his work as a “community representative and interlocutor”.
The court was told that a UVF magazine was discovered during a subsequent police search of Workman’s house.
The barrister said: “No explanation has been forthcoming to this day about what was going on with these firearms.”
He said there was no evidence that they had been intended for terrorist use.
Brenda Campbell KC, representing Irvine, said he had a “proven long-term commitment to peace-building in Northern Ireland”.
She told the court he had directly engaged with a number of groups, including the UK and Irish governments, over the years.
Ms Campbell said a number of references had been provided for Irvine, including from David Campbell, chairman of the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC).
She said Mr Campbell had described Irvine as a “key figure in discussions within the loyalist community in moving away from paramilitarism”.
The barrister added: “At critical junctures he has brought people away from violence to peace.”
She said he had only been in possession of the “low grade” firearms for a few minutes and there was no evidence of violent or terrorist intent.
Ms Campbell said: “The possession of these items ought not to hold this man back from making a continued contribution in the not-too-distant future.”
Michael Borrelli KC, representing Workman, said his client was occasionally asked to undertake work as a “messenger” to “prevent problematical situations”.
He told the court that he had been asked to transport a bag in his vehicle, and became suspicious when he picked it up that it contained firearms.
The barrister said when his client saw Irvine in Belfast it confirmed his belief that the weapons were to be taken out of circulation.
In response, the prosecuting barrister said there was no evidential basis for the contention that the weapons were to be taken out of commission.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC said he would pass sentence in the case next Thursday.
However, he said he was satisfied that the custodial threshold had been met and ordered the two defendants to be remanded in custody.
