Jamie Bryson, a loyalist activist, and Daithi McKay, a former Sinn Fein MLA, were acquitted of misconduct charges at Belfast Crown Court on July 3, 2025, related to a Stormont committee hearing from 2015.

Bryson, 35, and co-accused Thomas O'Hara, 41, were found not guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct.

The charges stemmed from an inquiry into the controversial £1.2 billion sale of the National Asset Management Agency's Northern Ireland assets to the US investment fund Cerberus.

The trial focused on Bryson's testimony before the committee, which was chaired by McKay, regarding the sale.

The inquiry was prompted by leaked Twitter messages among Bryson, McKay, and O'Hara, leading to McKay's resignation as an MLA shortly after their publication in August 2016.

During the proceedings, Bryson accused former DUP leader Peter Robinson of benefiting from the sale, a claim that Robinson strongly denied.

Judge Gordon Kerr KC, who presided over the non-jury trial, emphasized that there was no precedent for prosecuting in such circumstances and criticized the prosecution's case.

Although Judge Kerr noted that Bryson had lied during testimony, he concluded there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy involving Bryson and McKay.

McKay, who was the chair of the finance committee at the time, was also cleared of misconduct charges, with the court finding insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

Following the verdict, Bryson and McKay questioned the decision of the Public Prosecution Service to proceed with the prosecution, arguing it was unjustified.

Ultimately, the court cleared all three men of the charges, marking a significant conclusion to a lengthy inquiry.