Andre Shoukri
Encyclopedia
TheShoukri brothers are a pair of Egyptian-Northern Irish loyalist
paramilitary
members. Andre Khalef Shoukri was born in 1977, the son of a Coptic Christian Egypt
ian father and a Northern Irish mother. He was alleged to have taken over the north Belfast
Ulster Defence Association
(UDA) leadership. In July 2003 he received a two-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a gun and received a nine year sentence for various crimes in 2007. Ihab Shoukri, who was the older brother by three years, died in 2008.
with the republican Little America area, the two places being divided by the Cavehill Road. The brothers were educated at Lagan College
, an integrated education
secondary school in the east of the city. Standing six feet tall and considered handsome on account of his exotic mixed-ethnic looks Andre Shoukri was briefly on the books of a Templepatrick
modelling agency in his youth. However before long both brothers, whilst still teenagers, had enrolled in K Company of the UDA North Belfast Brigade, the section that covered the Westland estate. They were soon nicknamed "the Turks" and "the Pakis" on account of their swarthy appearance.
, Ihab Shoukri said he had no problem killing Catholics, continuing that it had no effect on him.
Ihab shoukri was not in custody when he died.
, the Shoukris, like many of their contemporaries looked instead towards Johnny Adair
, head of the neighbouring UDA West Belfast Brigade
, as a real leader and sought to emulate his militancy. Both were for a while imprisoned for extortion after demanding money with menace from a cafe owner and whilst in prison they became friendly with Adair, who was also incarcerated at the time. As the brothers profile grew in the area they soon assumed a leading role within their brigade and in 2002 led an internal coup to oust Simpson and install Andre Shoukri as North Belfast brigadier. The coup was undertaken with guns borrowed from Adair and ensured that, at the age of 25, Shoukri was the youngest brigadier in UDA history.
Under Shoukri's command the North Belfast Brigade took a close involvement in clashes at sectarian interfaces during the summer of 2001 and the group was responsible for the killing of teenager Gavin Brett in Glengormley
. Brett, a Protestant, had been talking with friends outside St Enda's GAC when he was shot in a drive-by shooting, his assailants assuming he was a Catholic. Brett's murder was claimed by the "Red Hand Defenders
", a cover-name invented by Frankie Curry
and subsequently used by both the UDA and Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF) as well as Curry's fellow dissidents. The Shoukris remained close to Adair and accompanied him and John White
to the funeral of the Loyalist Volunteer Force
(LVF) member Stephen Warnock in 2002, an act seen as provocative by other UDA leaders, both because they believed Adair was hoping to use the LVF to help him take full control of the UDA and also because Adair had been spreading a rumour that Jim Gray
had killed Warnock rather than the Red Hand Commando, who had actually been responsible. Adair ultimately did seek to chalenge the other UDA leaders although the Shoukris switched sides in late 2002 or early 2003 to support the mainstream position against Adair.
In 2003 Andre Shoukri was given a two year prison sentence for possessing a gun. Ihab Shoukri briefly served as Brigadier following his brother's arrest although his time in command proved very short-lived after he too was arrested, along with Mo Courtney
, for the murder of Alan McCullough, a former member of Johnny Adair's C Company who was killed by the UDA after returning from exile in Bolton
despite supposedly having received assurances of his safety from UDA leadership.
By 2004 Andre Shoukri had returned as Brigadier, following a brief period of leadership by William Borland
, and was one of the UDA leaders to meet with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Paul Murphy in that year.
and Jim Gray
.
Shoukri and his brother, Ihab, were reputed to have been extremists within the UDA. Through pressure and negotiation with the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG)
, and following a meeting with political representatives from the Republic of Ireland
's government and the British
government, things came to a tense conclusion when it was decided by the UDA that the Shoukri brothers and their family should leave Northern Ireland.
. Police stated that the man's death was not suspicious and indicated belief that he died of a drugs overdose.
On the day of Shoukri's funeral on 27 November 2008, there were several bomb alerts including one on Ballysillan Road where he was due to be buried. They were all found to be hoaxes.
announced that the 'Shoukri Paramilitary Element' had decommissioned 'some arms ammunition and explosive devices'. Arms and ammunition had also been decommissioned on two previous occasions. The group stated that the arms decommsissioned were all it had under its control.
, an area of Newtownabbey
covered by the UDA South East Antrim Brigade
although close to his old North Belfast stronghold. He appeared in north Belfast on a number of occasions soon after his release and was stopped by police, who feared the development of a power struggle within the local UDA. His most recent public appearance was at an event to commemorate dead loyalists in north Belfast held on Remembrance Day
2011.
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
members. Andre Khalef Shoukri was born in 1977, the son of a Coptic Christian Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian father and a Northern Irish mother. He was alleged to have taken over the north Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(UDA) leadership. In July 2003 he received a two-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a gun and received a nine year sentence for various crimes in 2007. Ihab Shoukri, who was the older brother by three years, died in 2008.
Early years
The brothers were natives of the Westland estate, a loyalist area of Belfast that forms an interface areaInterface area
Interface area is the name given to areas where segregated nationalist and unionist residential areas meet in Northern Ireland. They have been defined as "the intersection of segregated and polarised working class residential zones, in areas with a strong link betweenterritory and ethno-political...
with the republican Little America area, the two places being divided by the Cavehill Road. The brothers were educated at Lagan College
Lagan College
Lagan College is an integrated secondary school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1981 as the first integrated school in Northern Ireland and contains students of mainly Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths, however students from other faiths also attend the school.The school is...
, an integrated education
Integrated Education
The Integrated education movement in Northern Ireland is an attempt to bring together children, parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions: the aim being to provide a balanced education, while allowing the opportunity to understand and respect all cultural and religious...
secondary school in the east of the city. Standing six feet tall and considered handsome on account of his exotic mixed-ethnic looks Andre Shoukri was briefly on the books of a Templepatrick
Templepatrick
Templepatrick is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast, and halfway between the towns of Ballyclare and Antrim. It had a population of 1,556 in the 2001 Census. It is also close to Belfast International Airport and the village has several hotels...
modelling agency in his youth. However before long both brothers, whilst still teenagers, had enrolled in K Company of the UDA North Belfast Brigade, the section that covered the Westland estate. They were soon nicknamed "the Turks" and "the Pakis" on account of their swarthy appearance.
Killing of Gareth Parker
In June 1996, Andre Shoukri, then 19, was charged with manslaughter after he was involved in a fight outside a north Belfast pub, in which he assaulted a Catholic tennis player, Gareth Parker. Parker later died from his injuries. Shoukri was acquitted of manslaughter but received a two-year sentence. after pleading guilty to unlawful and malicious wounding. When interviewed in 2002 by The Irish NewsThe Irish News
The Irish News is a compact-sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is perceived as being broadly Irish nationalist in outlook...
, Ihab Shoukri said he had no problem killing Catholics, continuing that it had no effect on him.
Ihab shoukri was not in custody when he died.
Brigadiers
Although members of the UDA's North Belfast Brigade, long commanded by the "Bacardi Brigadier" Jimbo SimpsonJimbo Simpson
James "Jimbo" Simpson, also known as the Bacardi Brigadier, is a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary. He is most noted for his time as Brigadier of the North Belfast Ulster Defence Association...
, the Shoukris, like many of their contemporaries looked instead towards Johnny Adair
Johnny Adair
Jonathan Adair, better known as Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair is the former leader of the "C Company", 2nd Battalion Shankill Road, West Belfast Brigade of the "Ulster Freedom Fighters" . This was a cover name used by the Ulster Defence Association , an Ulster loyalist paramilitary organisation...
, head of the neighbouring UDA West Belfast Brigade
UDA West Belfast Brigade
The UDA West Belfast Brigade is the section of the Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association based in the western quarter of Belfast in the Greater Shankill area...
, as a real leader and sought to emulate his militancy. Both were for a while imprisoned for extortion after demanding money with menace from a cafe owner and whilst in prison they became friendly with Adair, who was also incarcerated at the time. As the brothers profile grew in the area they soon assumed a leading role within their brigade and in 2002 led an internal coup to oust Simpson and install Andre Shoukri as North Belfast brigadier. The coup was undertaken with guns borrowed from Adair and ensured that, at the age of 25, Shoukri was the youngest brigadier in UDA history.
Under Shoukri's command the North Belfast Brigade took a close involvement in clashes at sectarian interfaces during the summer of 2001 and the group was responsible for the killing of teenager Gavin Brett in Glengormley
Glengormley
Glengormley or Glengormly is the name of a townland and electoral ward in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Glengormley is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough.-Location:...
. Brett, a Protestant, had been talking with friends outside St Enda's GAC when he was shot in a drive-by shooting, his assailants assuming he was a Catholic. Brett's murder was claimed by the "Red Hand Defenders
Red Hand Defenders
The Red Hand Defenders is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1998 by loyalists who opposed the Belfast Agreement and the loyalist ceasefires. Its members were drawn mostly from the Ulster Defence Association and Loyalist Volunteer Force...
", a cover-name invented by Frankie Curry
Frankie Curry
Frankie Curry nicknamed "Pigface", was an Ulster loyalist who was involved with a number of paramilitary groups during his long career...
and subsequently used by both the UDA and Ulster Volunteer Force
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
(UVF) as well as Curry's fellow dissidents. The Shoukris remained close to Adair and accompanied him and John White
John White (loyalist)
John White is a former leading loyalist in Northern Ireland. He was sometimes known by the nickname 'Coco'. White was a leading figure in the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association and, following a prison sentence for murder, entered politics as a central figure in the Ulster Democratic...
to the funeral of the Loyalist Volunteer Force
Loyalist Volunteer Force
The Loyalist Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and the Portadown unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade was stood down by the UVF leadership. He had been the commander of the Mid-Ulster Brigade. The...
(LVF) member Stephen Warnock in 2002, an act seen as provocative by other UDA leaders, both because they believed Adair was hoping to use the LVF to help him take full control of the UDA and also because Adair had been spreading a rumour that Jim Gray
Jim Gray (UDA member)
James "Jim" Gray, , was the East Belfast brigadier of the Ulster Defence Association in Northern Ireland, a loyalist paramilitary group. He was often nicknamed "Doris Day" for his flamboyant dress sense and dyed blond hair. Another media nickname for Gray was the "Brigadier of Bling"...
had killed Warnock rather than the Red Hand Commando, who had actually been responsible. Adair ultimately did seek to chalenge the other UDA leaders although the Shoukris switched sides in late 2002 or early 2003 to support the mainstream position against Adair.
In 2003 Andre Shoukri was given a two year prison sentence for possessing a gun. Ihab Shoukri briefly served as Brigadier following his brother's arrest although his time in command proved very short-lived after he too was arrested, along with Mo Courtney
Mo Courtney
William "Mo" Courntey was an Ulster Defence Association activist. He was a leading figure in Johnny Adair's C Company, one of the most active sections of the UDA, before later falling out with Adair and serving as West Belfast brigadier.-Early years:In the late 1970s and early 1980s Courtney was...
, for the murder of Alan McCullough, a former member of Johnny Adair's C Company who was killed by the UDA after returning from exile in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
despite supposedly having received assurances of his safety from UDA leadership.
By 2004 Andre Shoukri had returned as Brigadier, following a brief period of leadership by William Borland
William Borland (loyalist)
William John "Bonzer" Borland is a Northern Irish former footballer and loyalist activist. He came to prominence in the early years of the 21st century when he served as leader of the North Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association and, as such, one of the six commanders of the movement...
, and was one of the UDA leaders to meet with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
Paul Murphy in that year.
Expulsion from UDA
The other five brigadiers in the UDA leadership decided to expel Andre Shoukri, his brother Ihab, and another associate in June 2006. The expulsion of several members of the UDA is believed to be a result of the organisation's stated commitment to a move away from criminal activity, and as paving the way towards decommissioning. Fears had been that there might have been another war of rivals such as that which resulted from similar cases with both Johnny AdairJohnny Adair
Jonathan Adair, better known as Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair is the former leader of the "C Company", 2nd Battalion Shankill Road, West Belfast Brigade of the "Ulster Freedom Fighters" . This was a cover name used by the Ulster Defence Association , an Ulster loyalist paramilitary organisation...
and Jim Gray
Jim Gray (UDA member)
James "Jim" Gray, , was the East Belfast brigadier of the Ulster Defence Association in Northern Ireland, a loyalist paramilitary group. He was often nicknamed "Doris Day" for his flamboyant dress sense and dyed blond hair. Another media nickname for Gray was the "Brigadier of Bling"...
.
Shoukri and his brother, Ihab, were reputed to have been extremists within the UDA. Through pressure and negotiation with the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG)
Ulster Political Research Group
The Ulster Political Research Group is an advisory body connected to the Ulster Defence Association , providing advice to them on political matters...
, and following a meeting with political representatives from the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's government and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government, things came to a tense conclusion when it was decided by the UDA that the Shoukri brothers and their family should leave Northern Ireland.
Andre Shoukri sentenced to nine years in prison
On Friday 30 November 2007 Andre Shoukri was sentenced to nine years in prison at Belfast Crown Court. He was jailed on a total of eighteen charges including the blackmailing of managers of a north Belfast bar beginning in June 2004. Other charges included intimidation and acquiring and using criminal property. He was sentenced along with four other men, namely William John Borland (sentenced to nine years on four counts of blackmail, one of intimidation and possession of a firearm); William John Harbinson (sentenced to seven years on three counts of blackmail, intimidation and possession of a firearm); Ian Peter Craig (who admitted to aiding and abetting a money transfer by deception and was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for three years) and Terry William Harbinson (sentenced to seven years on three counts of blackmail, intimidation and possession of a firearm). A large police presence of twenty officers was placed outside Court 12 where the case was being heard, however no disturbances occurred.Ihab Shoukri's death
On the night of 22 November 2008 a body believed by the police to be that of Ihab Shoukri was found in NewtownabbeyNewtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...
. Police stated that the man's death was not suspicious and indicated belief that he died of a drugs overdose.
On the day of Shoukri's funeral on 27 November 2008, there were several bomb alerts including one on Ballysillan Road where he was due to be buried. They were all found to be hoaxes.
Decommissioning
In February 2010 the Independent International Commission on DecommissioningIndependent International Commission on Decommissioning
The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning was established to oversee the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons in Northern Ireland, as part of the peace process.-Legislation and organisation:...
announced that the 'Shoukri Paramilitary Element' had decommissioned 'some arms ammunition and explosive devices'. Arms and ammunition had also been decommissioned on two previous occasions. The group stated that the arms decommsissioned were all it had under its control.
Current activity
Andre Shoukri was released from prison on 28 May 2010. Following his release from prison he settled in GlengormleyGlengormley
Glengormley or Glengormly is the name of a townland and electoral ward in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Glengormley is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough.-Location:...
, an area of Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...
covered by the UDA South East Antrim Brigade
UDA South East Antrim Brigade
The UDA South East Antrim Brigade was one of the six paramilitaries of the Ulster Defence Association . It operated in County Antrim, mainly in Newtownabbey, Larne and Antrim. The Guardian has identified it as "one of the most dangerous factions"...
although close to his old North Belfast stronghold. He appeared in north Belfast on a number of occasions soon after his release and was stopped by police, who feared the development of a power struggle within the local UDA. His most recent public appearance was at an event to commemorate dead loyalists in north Belfast held on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
2011.