Families had been assured they’d get time to find new homes, but hate campaign set to resume
A deal had been brokered between the terror group and an intermediary acting for residents at Annalee and Alloa Streets in the Oldpark area of north Belfast.
In May, a number of homes occupied by Catholic families were targeted by masked men, with windows smashed in and cars damaged.
Following discussions with a local UDA chief and a community representative, it was agreed residents would be allowed time to be rehoused without the risk of further attacks.
That arrangement has now been torn up on the orders of a senior figure in the gang. It is understood four Catholic families living in the estate have been told to leave immediately.
The intermediary who brokered the agreement has also received bullets in the post and a warning to stay out of the lower Oldpark area.
The sectarian attacks started in May, with a number of people arrested after families were forced to flee their homes. The West Belfast UDA vowed to maintain the attacks, until a community representative intervened. Residents at the Clanmill Housing Association properties were warned they would be burned out if they refused to leave.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly condemned the attacks. It is understood Justice Minister Naomi Long met a delegation including independent city councillor Paul McCusker, who has been a vocal advocate for the targeted families.
The hate campaign is the work of long-time UDA boss Mo Courtney, with support from convicted extortionist Geordie Taggart, who lives close to the development.
According to loyalist sources, drug kingpin Courtney, who denies involvement in criminality, has boasted that he has no intention of ending the attacks — and even intends to step them up. “He has said he will keep going until all the Taigs have left,” said an insider.
Sunday Life understands Courtney is concerned that an influx of people may bring a UDA drug house in the area to the attention of the PSNI. Local residents have lived under the terror gang’s threats and intimidation for decades.
A source told Sunday Life: “It’s about control, total control. Courtney will do anything to protect the UDA drugs trade, and the arrival of outsiders brings with it the possibility of questions being asked.”
Convicted killer 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 had moved into Alloa Street and Annalee Street, off Manor Street.
UDA sources told Sunday Life Taggart approved the attacks with the backing of the leadership. The 63-year-old started by spreading false stories of people playing loud “rebel music’’ and kids wearing GAA tops.
Taggart and Courtney were ordered by West Belfast UDA bosses to lay off the attacks until people could find alternative homes, but the terror gang has now reneged on the deal and sanctioned further threats.
Three families who left in May were put up in hotels. Police confirmed the motive behind the Alloa Street and Annalee Street attacks was sectarian and said the incidents were being treated as hate crimes.
Taggart 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 of eight counts of blackmail at Belfast Crown Court.
He refused to respond to Sunday Life questions about the intimidation when we visited his home earlier this year.
by GIJoeVibin
31 comments
You cant live here because you like statues. When will these wastes of space ever just go away.
Let people live in peace instead of getting your Grimey bigoted hands in.
Theres a reason areas with protestant majorities tend to be the most run down and its partly due to these ballbags
When will these terrorists be arrested?
Why is this utter cunt not in jail??
Would the simple solution here not just to be to lock that c*nt Courtney up ?
Still boggles my mind that terrorist drug gangs can operate in plain sight, known to all, yet the most that happens is a soundbite of disapproval from politicians.
Well, thank God we have a functional police & justice service.
What a kip of a statelet.
Read the story again and apply it to anywhere else in the world. How is this still going on?
Sounds like the perfect time to bring that drug house to the attention of the PSNI
I’m not originally from here, I grew up on the mainland but I’ve lived in Northern Ireland for over 20 years. It’s crazy the amount of times I see something and my thought process is “why don’t the police get involved, o wait it’s over here”
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Broken country ran by loyalist gangsters, the “authorities” {who dont have much authority} will do absolutely nothing
But their culture is being oppressed!
/s added for the literal minded
Who knew this whole time it wasn’t armed resistance we needed against these brutes but just kids in GAA tops. First the OO, now the North Belfast UDA, uppa young ones!
this is a clear display of the PSNI/IRA bias against loyalism! we can’t even ethnically cleanse the taigs out of our estates without getting articles written and being lightly condemned by politicians!
Oh no, not children wearing GAA jerseys! Totally deserved so /s.
This is mind boggling. Like I would like to see Mo’s brain scanned to see what kind of fucked up ball of mass it is.
But if nationalists defend themselves from these sorts of thugs then it becomes an issue
Who the fuck is making ‘deals’ with criminals? Just arrest the cunts
Hopefully anyone emigrating to NI will read this article and learn how to integrate properly into paramilitarism, we need to protect our culture.
Little gimps 🙄
Need to crack down on these cunts . Take the gloves off. Disgraceful that this is going on still.
It’s 2025
It’s a quarter of a century since the GFA and we’re STILL listening to the same old shite. Everyone knows who these cunts are….the PSNI know, the politicians know, and the residents sure as hell know. Yet they’re still swaggering about, terrorising families out of their homes, acting like they’re untouchable. The Good Friday Agreement wasn’t implemented so that these wee try-hard tramps could still hold communities hostage. Arrest them. Charge them. Get them off the streets. Because the rest of us Catholic, Protestant, whatever….are ready to move the fuck on now. The only “loyalty” they’ve got is to themselves and their grip on power. No other country would tolerate this shite. Instead, authorities tiptoe around like wee fannies doing fuck all. It’s insane and infuriating in equal measure.
Why are the PSNI allowing this??
Why are these fucks being allowed to do this? Where is the PSNI, for fucks sake they even know who the ringleader is. If this was ANY other country these scum would be in prison by now
How are they being treated like some sort of legitimate organisation
‘After meetings’ etc
How much longer are these terrorists going to be placated? They are still recruiting members, why are we as a society tolerating this!
So the definition of “Loyal” in this loyalism is:
– Importing guns
– Importing drugs
– Selling drugs
But only selling those drugs to Protestants….
🤔🫡
And yet they will still be allowed to erect and carry UDA flags on lamp posts/ hate marches without repercussion.
Weird eh? Farage says he’ll renegotiate the GFA in favour of Loyalists.
Two days later….
Why was there even “ongoing talks” with a terrorist group in the first place? Arrest them?
Meanwhile, unionist politicians complain about Kneecap; you couldn’t make it up.
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