Lindsay Robb

Lindsay Robb
Lindsay Robb during his gun-running trial, 1995
Born	1967 Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Died	31 December 2005 (age 38) Glasgow, Scotland
Cause of death	Multiple stab wounds
Nationality	British
Occupation	Gardener
Known for	Political spokesman and negotiator, paramilitary
Political party	Progressive Unionist Party
Movement	Ulster Volunteer Force Loyalist Volunteer Force
Criminal charge	Gun-running
Criminal penalty	Ten years imprisonment
Criminal status	Released under the terms of the Belfast Agreement

Lindsay Robb (1967 – 31 December 2005) was a Northern Irish loyalist activist who was a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). A native of Lurgan, County Armagh, Robb was a leading member of the PUP until 1995 when he was convicted of smuggling guns. Having been the main witness in the trial of a leading Provisional Irish Republican Army member in the early 1990s he subsequently made a number of allegations about collusion between the British security forces and the loyalist paramilitaries. Robb would later die in violent circumstances.

Robb, who was working as a graphic designer at the time, made the headlines, albeit without his name being revealed, in 1993 when he gave evidence at the trial of Colin Duffy, who was charged with the murder of Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier John Lyness. Robb's evidence helped to ensure a guilty verdict for Duffy, who was handed a life sentence. Robb had provided the evidence anonymously and appeared in court behind a curtain during the trial. Robb was identified only as "Witness C" during the trial.

However Robb first came to prominence with the PUP, serving as a member of their negotiations team during the early stages of the Northern Ireland peace process. Along with Jackie Mahood, the commander of the UVF in north Belfast, Robb was one of two members of the PUP/UVF talks delegation seen as being close to UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade commander Billy Wright who at the time was regarded as one of the main "hawks" within the UVF leadership. A rumour even circulated at the time that Robb, acting under orders from Wright, had been passing on details of the PUP's meetings to Ian Paisley in an attempt to damage UVF cohesion. Nonetheless both Robb and Mahood were present at Stormont Castle during the first round of talks with British government representatives soon after the loyalist ceasefire.