Latest news with #UDA
Sunday World
3 days ago
- General
- Sunday World
UDA vows to keep up attacks on Catholic homes in new housing development
The Sunday World can reveal the terror group has no intention of letting up West Belfast UDA has vowed to maintain its attacks on a mixed housing development in the north of the city. Residents in a new project in Alloa and Annalee streets in the Oldpark area have had the run the gauntlet of a series of attacks on their homes over the last few weeks. The Sunday World can reveal the terror group has no intention of letting up. A number of homes have been attacked windows broken and residents at the Clanmill Housing Association development being warned that they risk being burned out if they refuse to leave. Some of the homes that were targeted There have been a series of public meetings and this week the First and Deputy First Ministers condemned the attacks. We can also reveal that Justice Minister Naomi Long is to meet a delegation early next week, including independent City Councillor Paul McCusker who has been a vocal advocate for the targeted families. He will be joined by victims campaigner Raymond McCord, who has been in constant contact with families over the period of the attacks. Two others, representatives of the residents, are also expected to attend. According to sources, the campaign is being waged by long-time drug dealer Mo Courtney with the blessing of alleged West Belfast Brigadier Matt Kincaid and support from convicted extortionist Geordie Taggart who lives close to the targeted development. Some of the homes that were targeted According to loyalist sources, Courtney has boasted that he has no intention of letting up — and has vowed to step up attacks. 'He has said he will keep going until they've gone,' said our source. The Sunday World understands there is a UDA drug house in the area and the terror mob is concerned an influx of people from outside the area may compromise its safety. The local population has lived under UDA threats and intimidation for decades. 'It's about control, total control — they will do anything to protect their drugs trade, the arrival of outsiders brings with it the possibility of questions being asked.' Read more Five Catholic families refuse to flee after new homes smashed up by UDA thugs Convicted killer and lower Shankill UFF boss Courtney has had an iron grip on the area's drug trade for years. Close associate Taggart has been identified as a main player in the attacks on houses. He is believed to have sanctioned the intimidation after discovering Catholic families moved into Alloa Street and Annalee Street, off Manor Street. UDA sources have told the Sunday World the associates of the 63-year-old launched the sectarian attacks spree with the approval of the leadership. The group started by spreading false stories of people playing loud 'rebel music'' and of kids wearing GAA tops. 'GAA tops? How can grown men be afraid of kids wearing sports tops? Anyway, it was all lies. Pathetic.' Three of the families targeted in the UDA attacks fled their homes permanently. They have been offered temporary accommodation in a local hotel and face the prospect of going back to the bottom of housing waiting lists. At a meeting with other targeted families, they were told the PSNI had intelligence the properties were to be petrol-bombed that evening. Police have confirmed the motive behind the Alloa Street and Annalee Street attacks is sectarian and were treating the incidents as hate crime. Geordie Taggart, who sources have linked to the attacks, has managed to keep a particularly low profile but is understood to lead the UDA in the lower Oldpark area. He was jailed in 2000 for running protection rackets for the terror group. Taggart was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted on eight counts of blackmail at Belfast Crown Court. The case centred on an attempt to extort £3,000 from a building contractor operating in the north Belfast area. The trio are also closely associated with alleged drug dealer Roy Douglas, also believed to live close to the targeted streets. He is a close associated of Courtney's and has been under investigation by the PSNI for alleged drug dealing. The 60-year-old's home has been searched twice by officers from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force as part of anti-UDA drug-dealing operations. He was never charged and has previously denied any involvement in terrorism or drugs. Homes on Annalee Street News in 90 Seconds - 3rd June 2025 In a separate development, the north Belfast attacks are to be discussed at a specially convened meeting of the Irish government's Good Friday Implementation Committee. Raymond McCord, who sits on the government-appointed body, said the issue of sectarian attacks is as prevalent today as it was decades ago. He said the committee is also to consider the flow of Irish taxpayers' money to grant aid community projects in loyalist areas. 'Many of the people behind these attacks are growing fat on the back of public funds yet continue to carry out these attacks. It's wrong and has to stop, starting with their funding.' The north Belfast attacks comes weeks after a similar UDA campaign of intimidation aimed at families in a mixed housing development in Lisburn. And in recent weeks two Catholic families have been forced to quit their homes in the Skegoneill area of north Belfast after being targeted by a known UDA drug dealer. In all instances the PSNI has appealed for information.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘I've done my time': UDA killer moans he's being unfairly singled out as ruling threatens to land him back in jail
Judge says millionaire fuel launderer should not have been released early A UDA double killer who faces being returned to prison following a ruling that he should not have been released under the Good Friday Agreement has said he is being unfairly singled out and that he's 'done his time'. After the High Court determined that he was ineligible for early release, murderer Robert 'Brooksy' Clarke (73) told this newspaper: 'As far as I am concerned, I have served my time and that is the end of it.
RTÉ News
28-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Investigation into loyalist murder of Peter Gallagher 'wholly inadequate'
A police investigation into the murder of a man by loyalists in Belfast in 1993 was "wholly inadequate", the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has found. Peter Gallagher, a 44-year-old father of seven from Toomebridge in Co Antrim, was shot dead at an industrial park in west Belfast in March of that year. His family complained to the Police Ombudsman's Office about the thoroughness of the original murder investigation. Today, the ombudsman found that although 12 people should have been of interest to investigating detectives, none had been arrested. Marie Anderson said this was despite the fact that some were linked "by significant, and on occasion corroborative intelligence and other information". Mr Gallagher was shot dead by elements of the west Belfast Ulster Defence Association (UDA) based around the Shankill Road known as 'C Company'. Ms Anderson also criticised a decision to stand down surveillance on members of the gang even though at the time it had proven disruptive and the authorities knew attacks were being planned. The intelligence focus had been switched to the activities of the IRA. Within two days of surveillance being suspended, the UDA had murdered Mr Gallagher and 17-year-old Damien Walsh also in west Belfast. Ms Anderson said the decision to switch the surveillance focus ought to have been re-examined in light of the intelligence picture about the heightened risk of UDA attacks. "I am of the view that the failure to do so provided `C Company' greater opportunity to mount terrorist attacks on the nationalist community, culminating in the murders of Peter Gallagher and Damien Walsh," she said. However, the police ombudsman said she had found no intelligence, which if acted upon by police, would have prevented Mr Gallagher's murder. Neither was there any evidence that members of the security forces had provided information to loyalists to facilitate the attack. No one has ever been convicted for either murder. The ombudsman's report said the police investigation had zoned in on three principal suspects in respect of Mr Gallagher's murder. Ballistic tests revealed that a 9mm Browning pistol used to murder him had been amongst a batch smuggled into Northern Ireland from South Africa in December 1987. The police ombudsman said the investigations into the Gallagher and Walsh murders ought to have been linked and that the failure to do so had resulted in a "fragmented investigative approach" which had undermined both murder inquiries.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Investigation into Belfast murder of Peter Gallagher 'inadequate'
The police investigation into the loyalist murder of a man in west Belfast in 1993 was "wholly inadequate" and failed his family, the Police Ombudsman has Gallagher, a 44-year-old father of seven from Toomebridge, County Antrim, was shot by a UFF gunman while arriving for work at the Westlink Enterprise Centre shortly before 8am on 24 March Anderson said her investigation found there were a total of 12 people who should have been of interest to the murder investigation, but none were she added that her enquiries had found no intelligence that, if acted upon by police, could have prevented Mr Gallagher's murder. Mrs Anderson found that the 12 suspects were linked by "significant, and on occasion corroborative, intelligence and other information".She also criticised the police decision to cease surveillance of members of the UDA/UFF two days before the murder, despite multiple intelligence and other reports indicating the group were actively planning three days of surveillance being paused on 22 March 1993 - when police resources were reallocated in response to intelligence about IRA activity - the Shankill-based 'C Company' unit of the UDA/UFF had murdered Mr Gallagher and, in a separate attack the following day, 17-year-old Damien Walsh, the report the time surveillance of C Company members resumed on 30 March 1993, they had also attempted to murder two other people."I found no evidence that during this time police had reconsidered their decision to cease surveillance of 'C Company' members, despite the murders of Mr Gallagher and Damien Walsh, and mounting intelligence about other planned attacks," Mrs Anderson Police Ombudsman said was there no evidence that security forces provided information to paramilitaries to facilitate the attack. Mr Gallagher was hit multiple times by shots fired from an area of grass behind fencing overlooking the back of the Westlink Enterprise Centre, and backing onto the nearby dual UFF admitted responsibility and police received information indicating the attack had been carried out by members of 'C Company'.Mrs Anderson said the initial police response to Mr Gallagher's murder had been appropriate and comprehensive in nature.A bicycle suspected to have been used by the gunman was found near a footbridge across the Westlink near Roden Street.A 9mm Browning pistol wrapped in a balaclava was recovered near the scene of the attack, and scenes of crime examination recovered 10 empty cartridge cases, three bullet heads as well as soil and grass enquiries were undertaken, and vehicle checkpoints were conducted on both lanes of the Westlink the following morning. These enquiries identified a number of witnesses, and more than 50 statements were obtained from members of the public, police officers, expert witnesses and medical the day of Mr Gallagher's murder, police conducted searches of the homes of two men. A number of items were seized during one of the searches - including three balaclavas, a coat with surgical gloves in the pocket, and a plastic bag of on the items found no link to the Mrs Anderson said it was difficult to understand why - as the murder investigation progressed and intelligence and other information coalesced around three primary suspects - they had not been has been convicted over either the murder of Mr Gallagher or of Mr Walsh.
Belfast Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
UDA tried to kill leader Andy Tyrie ‘over links to rogue loyalist'
Exclusive | Late UDA godfather Andy Tyrie was targeted for murder by the terror gang over allegations he was receiving kickbacks from loyalist racketeer Jim Craig. Details of the plot are revealed in prison journals written by Army agent Brian Nelson, who with the help of his handlers shipped South African weapons into Northern Ireland which were used in hundreds of UDA and UVF murders during the 1980s and 1990s.
