Jackie Coulter (loyalist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jackie Coulter
Mural commemorating Jackie Coulter in Boundary Way, Lower Shankill.
Born	22 May 1954 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died	20 August 2000 (aged 46) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Known for	Ulster Defence Association member and lieutenant in UDA West Belfast brigade

Jackie Coulter (born May 22, 1954 – died August 21, 2000) was a member of a loyalist group from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was part of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). He held a leadership role, known as a lieutenant, in the UDA's West Belfast group. Sadly, he was killed by a rival loyalist group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). This happened during a time of conflict between loyalist groups.

Jackie Coulter's Role in the UDA

Jackie Coulter grew up in the Shankill Road area of Belfast. This area is known for its strong Protestant and loyalist community. He joined the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) at some point. He became a lieutenant, which is a senior position. He was also known to be a close friend of Johnny Adair, a powerful UDA leader.

Coulter lived in St Mary's Court with his wife, Agnes. They had four children together. He was in charge of a UDA unit called "C3A Commandos." This unit was part of the C Company, which covered the lower Shankill area. Jackie Coulter also often worked as a driver for Johnny Adair.

One of Coulter's daughters, Tracey, lived with Stephen McKeag for a while. Their relationship had problems. Coulter spoke to Adair about his daughter's situation. After this, McKeag was disciplined by the UDA and removed from C Company.

The Loyalist Feud of 2000

Before Jackie Coulter's death, there was growing tension. This tension was between the two main loyalist groups: the UDA and the UVF. The problems were mainly caused by Johnny Adair. He had formed an alliance with another group called the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). The UVF and LVF had a difficult relationship. The LVF had broken away from the UVF earlier.

The "Loyalist Day of Culture"

To make things worse, Adair decided to hold a "Loyalist Day of Culture." This event took place on the Shankill Road on August 19, 2000. Many new murals were officially revealed during this day. The UVF leaders had been told that no LVF symbols would be shown. However, Adair planned to display an LVF flag. He wanted to do this as the parade passed the Rex Bar. The Rex Bar was a place linked to the UVF.

Adair waited until most of the parade had passed. Then, he had the LVF flag unfurled outside the Rex Bar. This was meant to upset the UVF. When the flag appeared, fights started. Members of the UVF who were watching the parade clashed with those who unfurled the flag. Before this, the mood had been calm. UVF spectators had even sung UDA songs with the marching bands.

Violence on the Shankill

After the flag incident, bitter fighting broke out. About 300 UDA members from C Company attacked people at the Rex Bar. They used bats and iron bars at first. Then, they fired shots at the bar. The people inside had to barricade themselves. The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) office, which was across from the pub, was also shot at.

C Company then went on a rampage in the lower Shankill. They attacked the homes of known UVF members and their families. This included the home of a respected UVF leader, Gusty Spence. They forced people out of their homes. They also damaged property and set some houses on fire.

It is important to note that Jackie Coulter was not involved in this violence. By this time, his main role was helping UDA prisoners. He regularly drove a bus. This bus took prisoners' families to the Maze prison for visiting days.

Jackie Coulter's Death

Two days later, on August 21, the UVF responded to the UDA's actions. Jackie Coulter was sitting in a vehicle outside a bookmakers on the Crumlin Road. He was with Bobby Mahood, who used to be a UVF member. A young UVF gunman saw them. It is believed that Coulter and Mahood were discussing ways to ease the tension between the groups.

Coulter was killed instantly in the attack. Bobby Mahood died a few hours later. The actual target of the attack was Jackie Mahood. He was a key figure in the Belfast LVF. The young gunman had mistakenly thought Bobby Mahood was his brother.

The UVF did not directly claim responsibility for the killing. However, the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), which is linked to the UVF, admitted the UVF was behind the deaths. Both Johnny Adair and John White arrived at the scene quickly. They held a press conference. They publicly blamed the UVF for the killings.

Coulter's Funeral

Jackie Coulter's funeral was held four days later, on August 25. Many important loyalist figures attended. These included John White and Frank McCoubrey. All six UDA brigades were represented. The LVF also sent a senior member, Gary Fulton, who laid a wreath. Around 1,000 people attended the funeral in total.

The funeral procession started from Coulter's home on St Mary's Court. It briefly stopped at the spot where he was killed. This was outside a betting shop on the Crumlin Road. A lorry with flowers and blacked-out number plates led the procession. Businesses along the route were closed. There was a strong police and army presence in the streets around the Shankill. This was to prevent any trouble. Coulter was buried in Roselawn Cemetery. A UDA statement was read there. It expressed "disgust at the cowardly and brutal murder."

Aftermath of the Feud

The UDA sought revenge for Coulter's death. They killed 22-year-old UVF member Sam Rocket. This happened at his girlfriend's home in the Oldpark Road area of Belfast. The Lower Oldpark was a loyalist area. It was known as a stronghold for Adair's C Company. Sam Rocket was also buried at Roselawn Cemetery. The feud continued with more killings until November 2000. One of these was the death of UDA member Tommy English. Jackie Coulter is remembered on a wall mural in Boundary Way on the Lower Shankill.

Family Concerns

In 2009, one of Coulter's daughters, Tracey, had her home attacked twice. She also received threats from the UVF. She believed these attacks were connected to an investigation. This investigation was looking into the details of her father's death.

In May 2012, Tracey Coulter gave an interview. She said her family had allowed the police to keep part of her father's skull. This was for investigation purposes. However, they later received a letter from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The letter told her that more of her deceased father's body parts might have been kept.

See also

• List of unsolved deaths