James 'Mr Bump' Reid
UVF thug Jamesy Reid has been nicknamed ‘Mr Bump’ after it emerged he has sued the Housing Executive after falling down the same flight of stairs on four separate occasions!
And incredibly the Housing Executive has forked out every time to the tune of £20,000 in total.
The shocking revelations about the ‘accident prone’ east Belfast paramilitary boss emerged after documents about the incidents were mistakenly sent to Maghaberry Prison.
The Sunday World understands the Housing Executive paid out £4,000 to Reid just last week.
“Everyone’s calling him Mr Bump because it seems he’s fallen down the same flight of stairs in the same block of flats four times,” said a source.
“I remember he appeared in the Sunday World dressed as ‘Dangermouse’ – he’ll have to try and get himself a Mr Bump costume for next Hallowe’en.
“But laughing aside nobody can believe that he actually got paid out four times. He’s made a fortune out of taxpayers money.”
According to Housing Executive papers Reid has fallen down the same stairs in a block of flats in Morven Park, Ballybeen, four times.
On one occasion he twisted his ankle while on another he injured his arm.
Reid has a notorious reputation in east Belfast where he has brought misery to people living in Ballybeen.
He recently served two years of a four year jail sentence for armed robbery.
Housing chiefs sent the damning documents to the jail after mistakenly thinking Reid was still behind bars – even though he had been released last year.
Reid is the UVF boss from Ballybeen who once attacked Sunday World Editor Jim McDowell at Belfast City Hall.
Seemingly Reid is at war with the Housing Executive because they have refused to offer him a house.
The convicted thug and robber requested a house in Ballybeen but the Sunday World understands the Housing Executive was concerned it was being conned.
“The Housing Executive knows Jamesy has a girlfriend in Ballybeen and has been living there so it suspects he’s applying for a house so he can sub-let it out to someone else.
“The UVF has been making a fortune from getting Housing Executive houses and then renting them out to other people.
“They also use some addresses as ‘giro-drops’ to get fake benefit payments.”
The Housing Executive confirmed last night that Reid had recently won an out-of-court settlement with i6.
A spokesperson said: “Further to your query regarding Mr Reid I can confirm he has applied to the Housing Executive for accommodation and his housing need has been assessed.
“Mr Reid has indicated a preference for a particular property type which is not currently available in his preferred area. As and when a suitable vacancy occurs Mr Reid’s application will be considered.
“Further to your other query I can confirm a recent claim was settled in relation to an incident which occurred following vandalism in a stairwell. The Housing Executive regularly carries out inspections and the necessary work has been completed.”
The 33-year-old is the man who assaulted Jim McDowell after ambushing him at the Christmas market in 2009.
Reid gained himself a fearsome reputation around Ballybeen where several people were forced to leave their homes by his UVF mob.
In 2012 Reid pleaded guilty to one count of robbery on October 22, 2010 in the county court division of Ards.
His victim was Crossgar businessman, Mr Kenneth Martin. Three thousand pounds in cash was stolen.
He was arrested in Crossgar, Co. Down by detectives from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch, along with two other men who were also convicted alongside him.
Reid was also convicted of possessing an offensive weapon, namely a metal bar, in a public place contrary to the Public Order Act of 1987.
Another count of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence was left on the books.