These were carried out under the Red Hand Defenders cover name, with some attacks also blamed on the Orange Volunteers who were active in similar attacks at the time. [6] When asked by the BBC in prison if he regretted anything about the shooting, his reply was, "Only that I didn't succeed. "Several UDA men told their bosses they wanted him shot dead while others wanted his knees done but they've been ordered by Fisher to leave him alone, for now. A man described in court as the commander of the UDA in South East Antrim is one of four men charged with conspiring to supply cocaine. A large portion of the cash was taken from a UVF-controlled taxi firm in which he holds a silent 25 per cent share. "These people are completely ruthless, I believe that it would put my life in danger," he said. Despite his reputation for gangsterism, Gregg's failed attack on Gerry Adams had afforded him legendary status and, under the direction of Jackie McDonald, the remaining UDA brigadiers concluded that Adair had to be removed. Three men were acquitted of his murder. Catholic workman Gary Moore was killed in Monkstown in 2000 in another killing attributed to Greggs unit. That same night Jackie McDonald's men raided the lower Shankill and ran those members of C Company that had remained loyal to Adair, who was still in prison, out of the city. His assassination attempt had made him a loyalist hero and he quickly took over from English as brigadier. Senior members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Loyalist Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando also attended. [1], Gregg was born in 1957 and raised in a Protestant family from the Tigers Bay area of North Belfast. Gregg, seated in the backseat, was hit at close range and died instantly. . id="addMyFavs"> Tipperary Tim astounding 1928 Grand National winner at 100/1 & a proud resident of Glencairn ! These psychos were obviously baying for blood Mod blood, to be exact. Spotlight's Gangland: The Murder of Glenn Quinn can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer. The south Belfast, south-east Antrim and east Belfast brigadiers . Brawls between the two had been frequent and tensions had been growing between the UDA and UVF leading to a drink-fuelled pitched battle between the two groups at the train station. A mural commemorating Gregg and Carson in Cloughfern. As a result of the attack, three Woodvale UDA members went to Gregg and complained about the attack. His own earliest memory of the Troubles was the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association marches in Derry, a movement to which Gregg and his family were strongly opposed. Convicted gunrunner Thomas Morgan, a one-time member of the UDA, has muscled in on the town's drug scene. "Putting it bluntly they were either stood down, expelled or shot - that's the only way to get out.". DCI John Caldwell: The New IRA threat after Omagh shooting, The Firm: Inside Lurgan and Portadowns cross-community crime gang. [49] The targets of the attack were reported locally as being two brothers who had been involved in a scuffle with three UDA members the night before. Nonetheless he was not keen to antagonise Adair and so, along with McFarland, McDonald and Jimbo Simpson, accepted his invitation to attended a Loyalist Day of Culture organised by Adair on the Lower Shankill on 19 August 2000. Here, reporter Jennifer O'Leary writes about how the group continues strike fear into communities. 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A failure by the paramilitary group's south-east Antrim faction to back the move resulted in a . [51], On 13 March 2017 Geordie Gilmore, formerly a commander in the brigade until being stood down in 2016 following a dispute over drug money,[52] was shot in the neck in Carrickfergus. He called on the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to establish an auxiliary police clinic on the estate, which had no permanent police building, so as locals concerned about crime could have somewhere to go. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. They have a number of supply lines. John Gregg (1957 - 1 February 2003) was a senior member of the UDA/UFF loyalist paramilitary organisation in Northern Ireland.In 1984, Gregg seriously wounded Sinn Fin president Gerry Adams in an assassination attempt. Gregg was the most senior UDA member killed since South Belfast brigadier John McMichael was blown up by the IRA in 1987. The shootings raised some anger on the Shankill, where the three were well-liked figures, and Adair sought to exploit this as a method of getting rid of Gregg. Simms' demise was the catalyst for the disintegration of Fisher's power base. [12] As the oldest member, English usually chaired the meetings of this Inner Council, although he often struggled to control UDA West Belfast Brigade brigadier Johnny Adair. Senior members of South East Antrim UDA want to take out . This came within a few days of a 1m allocation to a conflict transformation project in loyalist areas. "But then what happened was that the UDA began to splinter into criminal gangs, criminal fiefdoms.". Masked gunmen immediately opened fire on the occupants with automatic weapons. Belfast Books Thanks for promoting my book mate. In late August, Adair had even managed to have Gregg stood down as Brigadier for "not being militant enough" and replaced by one of Adair's own associates. "It is notoriously difficult to leave," a senior loyalist source told us. Gregg was born in 1957 and raised in a Protestant family from the Tigers Bay area of North Belfast. The UDA South East Antrim Brigade was previously one of the six brigades of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and are heavily involved in the drug trade. In 1984, Gregg seriously wounded Sinn Fin president Gerry Adams in an assassination attempt. He was interviewed on the basis of anonymity. Members of the loyalist flute band, Cloughfern Young Conquerors dressed in uniform accompanied the coffin. [7] Sometime after the Combined Loyalist Military Command of 1994 he succeeded Joe English, who had emerged as a leading figure in the Ulster Democratic Party, as so-called brigadier of the South-East Antrim UDA. - Free Online Library", "New UDA brigadier link to McColgan and Quail murders", "UDA expels south east Antrim brigade chiefs By Brian Rowan Thursday", PM praises Northern Ireland decommissioning moves, Three more Northern Ireland terrorist groups lay down their arms, UDA Brigade deny being involved in gang attack, "A rebel UDA unit is re-arming in a grim warning to rival drug dealers", "UDA blamed for Larne, County Antrim, 'rampage', "UDA 'on a power trip', says senior police officer after attacks in Antrim", "UDA's Larne mob attack was aimed at brothers who stood up to terror gang", "Larne disorder: Third man is arrested after two are released", "Killer of leading loyalist George Gilmore remains at large", "High-profile loyalist George Gilmore dies after gun attack", "Man arrested in Carrickfergus over murder of loyalist George Gilmore", "Man shot in front of son in Northern Ireland 'victim of UDA internal feud' | UK news", "Police make another arrest over Colin Horner murder", "UDA link revealed as pair jailed over inept effort to buy guns on 'dark net', "Baby narrowly escapes attack on Ards homes by 'South East Antrim UDA', "Newtownards 'South East Antrim UFF' graffiti condemned", "Colin Horner killing: Drama as four men are jailed for life - Belfast News Letter", "Loyalist terrorist group issues threats against two journalists in Belfast", "Police warn politicians about loyalist paramilitary threats", "Loyalist paramilitaries threaten politicians in North", "Loyalists threat against Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life journalist condemned", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UDA_South_East_Antrim_Brigade&oldid=1135430778, This page was last edited on 24 January 2023, at 16:49. On 8 December, a bomb was found under Gregg's car, apparently placed there by one of Adair's allies from the Loyalist Volunteer Force. By September 2002, Adair had even circulated stories to contacts in the media that Gregg was under death threat from the UDA. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles". "The UDA is the biggest paramilitary group in Rathcoole, much bigger than the UVF, and there are some UDA men in the estate who would gladly do the job. His gaunt appearance had people raising questions about his health. And some of them think the UVF tout should be made to pay with his life but were told they couldn't by already under-fire SEA leader Fisher. Sources have told us the crime boss is a man under intense pressure. "But Gary Fisher doesn't want the hassle of sanctioning something against him. [69] The decommissioning was completed five weeks before a government amnesty deadline beyond which any weapons found could have been used as evidence for a prosecution. Senior members of South East Antrim UDA want to take out the UVF man who they believe gave up their drug dealers. When the taxi stopped at traffic lights close to the motorway, it was rammed by another taxi which had been hijacked earlier on the Shankill Road. Golden Brown The Stranglers: Iconic Songs & the story behind them. The views and opinions expressed in this documentary/ies and page are soley intended to educate and provide background information to those interested in the Troubles of Northern Ireland. [14] Later in the year, English was forced to confront Adair about rumours that Adair was considering attending an Inner Council meeting armed in order to eliminate the other five brigadiers and assume sole control of the UDA. The Sunday World also understands Fisher has become increasingly paranoid, believing there is an informant who is passing information about his movements to the PSNI. Masked gunmen immediately opened fire on the occupants with automatic weapons. [52] The South-east Antrim brigadier, who was not named in reports, stated that any brigade members attending Gilmore's funeral would be expelled. [60], On 4 January police investigated SEA UDA graffiti sprayed on eleven properties. games. He will have run the crime gang . His cheeks appeared hollow, he has shaved his head and those who have seen him describe him as 'haunted'. "When we look at what they try and portray themselves to be, defenders of their area, I can't see how that ties in with dealing drugs in a community.". Having witnessed demographic shifts in Glengormley and Crumlin, traditionally loyalist majority towns that had come to have nationalist majorities on account of loyalists moving out of Belfast, he determined that the same thing would not happen in Carrickfergus and Larne and so launched a campaign of pipe bomb and arson attacks on Catholic homes there (despite these towns having very small Catholic populations). [5], Gregg was sentenced to 18 years in prison; however, he only served nine years before he was released in 1993. Brawls between the two had been frequent and tensions had been growing between the UDA and UVF leading to a drink-fuelled pitched battle between the two groups at the train station. He was in attendance along with ex-Labour NI Secretary of State Peter Mandelson and former MI6 operatives. This followed in summer 2002 when a community centre was taken over for this purpose although Greggs UDA objected and daubed the building with the word tout. 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