Hugh Jordan
Today at 14:30
A former DUP MP is backing claims by a diehard loyalist that he was “set up” by MI5 spooks in a child sex sting, it can be revealed.
Mark Harbinson – who was jailed in 2011 for string of sex attacks on a 13-year-old girl and is campaigning for his case to be reopened – is being supported by former South Antrim MP Paul Girvan.
And the MP said he suspects a “dirty tricks” department within British state forces wanted Harbinson off the streets because of his growing influence in loyalism.
“We all know this type of thing went on years ago. I wouldn’t be supporting Mark Harbinson in this if I didn’t think this case had merit,” the former MP said.
He added: “I’ve seen enough to convince me this case should be reopened.”
Prominent Orangeman Harbinson was jailed for the attacks on the girl in an Orange Hall. He was also convicted of possessing topless pictures of the teenager.
He was sentenced to serve three and a half years in prison with the same again on licence.
Judge Des Marrinan warned Harbinson that he must accept the verdict of the 10-2 jury, before placing his name on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Harbinson first came to the fore around the time of the Drumcree crisis nearly 30 years ago when thousands of Orangemen took part in protests across Northern Ireland.
Father-of-one Harbinson (57), a famer from Stoneyford, Co Antrim, met the Sunday World recently with the DUP’s Mr Girvan and claimed to have evidence he was set up by MI5 spooks.
And he insists the real culprit is a well-known loyalist paramilitary from Co Down, whom Harbinson believes was and still is in the pay of the Special Branch.
He also claims he has proof that a high-ranking former RUC officer was well aware of the alleged MI5 plot to set him up. And he further maintains he met with a serving MI5 officer who confirmed his department moved against him in order to protect a well-placed loyalist paramilitary source.
Harbinson said: “I can’t tell you how it happened, but what I can say is I met with a serving MI5 officer who confirmed my suspicions that I was set up.
“I made sure I had credible witnesses with me at the time. And we now believe we know the identity of a retired senior police officer who is in a position to confirm this.
“It has taken me years to piece this all together, but I’m determined to use the new evidence to clear my name.”
Mr Girvan, who was South Antrim MP from 2017 until this year’s election, added: “My hope is that the case is reopened with these people interviewed under caution.”
A spokesperson for the PSNI said that an individual with a complaint against the police should refer the matter to the Police Ombudsman’s Office.
by pickneyboy3000
26 comments
Nah mate you’re just a nonce
No smoke without fire. Nonce is a nonce regardless
>And he further maintains he met with a serving MI5 officer who confirmed his department moved against him in order to protect a well-placed loyalist paramilitary source.
Hahaha this dude thinks he lives in a James Bond movie. These fucking idiots have fully leant into their manic delusions
Don’t you hate it when the Deep State^TM trick you into raping a child?
I don’t buy it, he’s a nonce. If the spooks wanted to set him up there are far easier ways for them to do it.
Free the pedos! /Peep show
And indirectly calling his victim a liar – exactly what she wants in the run up to Christmas I’m sure. 2 absolute pieces of shit.
Wait, I thought collusion was a SF/IRA lie to besmirch our hard-working security forces? Now suddenly MI5 are protecting paedos?
>We all know this sort of thing when on for years
Could have saved a lot of bloodshed had yiz just accepted that at the time.
I wouldn’t put anything past goverment, going by previous history but they only put the bait out for him they did not make him bite it.
If they wanted rid of you, they’d have planted a brick of Colombian marching powder and guns on you instead.
I’m confused.
Is he saying there was no girl nor assault, or there was but she was part of entrapment? The latter statement is wild if that’s what he means.
I agree those loyalists always faced collusion from the state forces…. No, wait I’m confused again.
Would have been really easy to avoid this if he just followed one simple trick
Don’t buck kids
While we are all aware of the dirty tricks used by british military/intelligence, this claim is fanciful at most!
1st off lads, you spent decades defending the military/intelligence despite knowing some of the dirty tricks they were up to, so no point whinging now, when you’ve lost you westminister seat.
2nd, the idea that he was targeted for being close to loyalism is pathetic. This is the same time Peter Robinson was cosying up to loyalism a year after he lost his westminister seat. At this time he had Emma little, daughter of UDA man Noel little working as a junior minister. That year, the DUP alos ran a few fromer UDA members in the assembly and council elections!
If he was set up, probably to hide the identity of another informer, but to claim that it was because “he was close to loyalism” is BS
These people are beneath contempt.
Pedos back pedos. Investigate the twat.
The man is such a loyalist, that the government to whom he is so loyal, have set him up. Again, because he’s so loyal.
Stop reading once i saw Paul Girvan’s name – absolute cuntface
Ah, that old chestnut.
Dude, you’re a big fat pedo, live with it.
Honey go get the fleg, we are gonna pretend to read these pages here while they take a picture of us
What the fuck
Its funny how the DUP are Uber British until the Brits actually prosecute them.
His only crime was loyalty…..
…and being a pedo
Why do the DUP & Loyalism in general have so many issues with noncing among their ranks? It’s very disturbing.
>Mark Harbinson…. was jailed in 2011 for string of sex attacks on a 13-year-old girl
…[and] is being supported by former South Antrim MP Paul Girvan.
Ahh so now the state forces are colluding and carrying out dirty tricks! Okay.
And in this instance, they set this guy up by getting him to *checks notes*, attack a 13 year old girl in an Orange Hall.
Okay… bold move by MI5. Not sure how they could arrange that, but let’s move on …*checks notes again* oh, he was also convicted of possessing topless pictures of the teenager.
Riiiiiiiiight.
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