Jim Gray (UDA member)
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Gray, was the East Belfast
brigadier of the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA) 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". He was also the owner of several bars in east Belfast.
working class estate in east Belfast. He left school at 15 and had ambitions of becoming a professional golfer, but instead joined the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association
(UDA) when he was still in his teens. He eventually rose to become brigadier of the East Belfast Brigade, having taken over from the volatile Ned McCreery
when he was killed by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) in 1992.
Nicknamed "Doris Day
" and the "Brigadier of Bling", Gray, who was 6'3 in height, became known as the most flamboyant leader in the UDA with his dyed blond bouffant hair, permanent suntan, gold earring, ostentatious jewellery, and expensive pastel clothing. In their book UDA - Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror, journalists Henry McDonald
and Jim Cusack described him as "looking more like an aging New Romantic" than the leader of a paramilitary organisation. He once attended a UDA meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
, John Reid
wearing a loud Hawaiian-print shirt with a pink jumper draped over his shoulders. A heavy user of cocaine, Gray made large amounts of money from selling drugs, protection racketeering, and extortion. He also acquired several bars in his native east Belfast. One of these, the "Avenue One" in Templemore Avenue, he used as the headquarters for his substantial criminal empire. He lived in an expensive luxury flat in an exclusive private residence and was protected by a devoted gang dubbed "the Spice Boys".
Renowned for his violent temper, he once allegedly brutally beat then stomped on a man's head during an outdoor Rod Stewart
concert at Stormont
in full view of the audience. On another occasion, he violently attacked a man with a golf club after the latter had beaten him in a game of golf. For that assault, Gray was barred from the Ormeau Golf Club.He had allegedly ordered the killing of his predecessor McCreery, whom he accused of being a police informer. Gray then took over his brigade and one of his pubs. In January 2001, the gunman, Geordie Legge met a grisly end, allegedly at the hands of Gray and his henchmen. Legge had reportedly denounced Gray's organised criminal racket and tried to interfere with Gray's lucrative drug-dealing, and he was repeatedly tortured and stabbed to death inside "The Bunch of Grapes", another of Gray's east Belfast pubs. After the killing, Legge's body was placed in a carpet and dumped outside Belfast. Legge's knife wounds were so severe that his head was almost severed from the body. The pub was set on fire to eliminate the signs of the torture that had been carried out inside. Gray was one of the mourners who attended Legge's funeral. The following year 2002, Gray was shot in the face by UDA rivals; the plastic surgery to repair the considerable facial injuries cost £11,000. The shooting, which was blamed on West Belfast
Brigadier Johnny Adair
, had been described by the police as "loosely related" to the death of Stephen Warnock, a Loyalist Volunteer Force
leader, in one of the loyalist feud
s. Two weeks after the attack, Gray flew to Tenerife
for a holiday. He allegedly owned property in Spain.
. It was suggested that Gray was a Special Branch
informer who passed on information to the police about his friends and associates. In April that year, he was arrested whilst driving; several thousand pounds were found in the car, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland
(PSNI) believed he was intending to travel to the Republic of Ireland
with what they suspected to be the proceeds of drug dealing and extortion. Gray was charged with money laundering
, and held in custody until September when he was released on bail. During this time, police raids on a number of locations brought in thousands of documents related to this investigation. At the same time the prominent Belfast estate agent Philip Johnston
was also arrested under suspicion of money laundering. On 5 September 2006 the Public Prosecution Service
dropped all charges against Johnston, without stating a reason. Johnston stated that he had been financially ruined, and that "My name will never be restored". His business was the subject of a management buyout shortly after his initial arrest.
Gray's only son, Jonathan, died of a drugs overdose in 2002 while with his father on holiday in Thailand
. An October 2005 report by the Belfast Telegraph claimed that Gray was bisexual and would regularly take vacations to Thailand to have sex with teenage boys.
East Belfast MP
Peter Robinson
(to date the incumbent First Minister of Northern Ireland) stated after his killing that "there was no excuse for the murder". Fellow UDA member and former friend, Michael Stone claimed that Gray had told him he was a businessman rather than a loyalist, as loyalism did not pay the bills.
Unlike most brigadiers, he was not given an extravagant paramilitary funeral, complete with volleys of gunfire fired over the coffin; instead it was a private affair, attended by a small group of just 14 mourners. As a further sign of his unpopularity amongst loyalists, a street disco was held in east Belfast to celebrate his death. Gray's effigy, with a curtain ring representing his trademark single gold earring, was thrown upon a bonfire. In lieu of murals dedicated to his memory, there is only graffiti scrawled on an east Belfast wall which reads: "Jim Gray RIP - Rest in Pink".
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...
brigadier of the 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) in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, a loyalist
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....
group. He was often nicknamed "Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
" for his flamboyant dress sense and dyed blond hair. Another media nickname for Gray was the "Brigadier of Bling". He was also the owner of several bars in east Belfast.
Ulster Defence Association
Gray was born in Belfast and raised in a Protestant family on a staunch loyalistUlster 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...
working class estate in east Belfast. He left school at 15 and had ambitions of becoming a professional golfer, but instead joined the loyalist paramilitary 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) when he was still in his teens. He eventually rose to become brigadier of the East Belfast Brigade, having taken over from the volatile Ned McCreery
Ned McCreery
Edward "Ned" McCreery was a Northern Irish loyalist. A leading member of the Ulster Defence Association , he was notorious for the use of torture in his killings...
when he was killed by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) in 1992.
Nicknamed "Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
" and the "Brigadier of Bling", Gray, who was 6'3 in height, became known as the most flamboyant leader in the UDA with his dyed blond bouffant hair, permanent suntan, gold earring, ostentatious jewellery, and expensive pastel clothing. In their book UDA - Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror, journalists Henry McDonald
Henry McDonald
Henry McDonald may refer to:* Henry McDonald * Henry McDonald * Henry McDonald * Henry McDonald *Henry Monroe McDonald , a Major League Baseball pitcher known as Hank McDonald...
and Jim Cusack described him as "looking more like an aging New Romantic" than the leader of a paramilitary organisation. He once attended a UDA meeting with the 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...
, John Reid
John Reid (politician)
John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
wearing a loud Hawaiian-print shirt with a pink jumper draped over his shoulders. A heavy user of cocaine, Gray made large amounts of money from selling drugs, protection racketeering, and extortion. He also acquired several bars in his native east Belfast. One of these, the "Avenue One" in Templemore Avenue, he used as the headquarters for his substantial criminal empire. He lived in an expensive luxury flat in an exclusive private residence and was protected by a devoted gang dubbed "the Spice Boys".
Renowned for his violent temper, he once allegedly brutally beat then stomped on a man's head during an outdoor Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
concert at Stormont
Stormont
-People:* Lord Stormont, British ambassador to France in the 18th century-Structures:* Stormont , first-class cricket ground in the Stormont Estate* Stormont Castle, currently used by the Northern Ireland Executive...
in full view of the audience. On another occasion, he violently attacked a man with a golf club after the latter had beaten him in a game of golf. For that assault, Gray was barred from the Ormeau Golf Club.He had allegedly ordered the killing of his predecessor McCreery, whom he accused of being a police informer. Gray then took over his brigade and one of his pubs. In January 2001, the gunman, Geordie Legge met a grisly end, allegedly at the hands of Gray and his henchmen. Legge had reportedly denounced Gray's organised criminal racket and tried to interfere with Gray's lucrative drug-dealing, and he was repeatedly tortured and stabbed to death inside "The Bunch of Grapes", another of Gray's east Belfast pubs. After the killing, Legge's body was placed in a carpet and dumped outside Belfast. Legge's knife wounds were so severe that his head was almost severed from the body. The pub was set on fire to eliminate the signs of the torture that had been carried out inside. Gray was one of the mourners who attended Legge's funeral. The following year 2002, Gray was shot in the face by UDA rivals; the plastic surgery to repair the considerable facial injuries cost £11,000. The shooting, which was blamed on West Belfast
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...
Brigadier 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...
, had been described by the police as "loosely related" to the death of Stephen Warnock, a 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...
leader, in one of the loyalist feud
Loyalist feud
A loyalist feud refers to any of the sporadic feuds which have erupted almost routinely between Northern Ireland's various loyalist paramilitary groups since they were founded shortly before and after the religious/political conflict known as The Troubles broke out in the late 1960s...
s. Two weeks after the attack, Gray flew to Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
for a holiday. He allegedly owned property in Spain.
Expulsion and arrest
Gray was expelled by the UDA leadership in March 2005, for "treason" and "building a criminal empire outside the UDA", according to the South Belfast brigadier, Jackie McDonaldJackie McDonald
John "Jackie" McDonald is a senior Northern Irish loyalist and the incumbent Ulster Defence Association brigadier for South Belfast, having been promoted to the rank by former UDA commander Andy Tyrie in 1988, following John McMichael's killing by the Provisional IRA in December 1987...
. It was suggested that Gray was a Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
informer who passed on information to the police about his friends and associates. In April that year, he was arrested whilst driving; several thousand pounds were found in the car, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
(PSNI) believed he was intending to travel to 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,...
with what they suspected to be the proceeds of drug dealing and extortion. Gray was charged with money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, and held in custody until September when he was released on bail. During this time, police raids on a number of locations brought in thousands of documents related to this investigation. At the same time the prominent Belfast estate agent Philip Johnston
Philip Johnston (estate agent)
Philip Johnston is an estate agent from Belfast, Northern Ireland.In April 2005 Johnston was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Former Ulster Defence Association leader Jim Gray had been arrested three days earlier, along with Gray's then girlfriend Sharon Moss. The three were suspected to...
was also arrested under suspicion of money laundering. On 5 September 2006 the Public Prosecution Service
Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland
The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland is the department of the Northern Ireland Office responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in Northern Ireland. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland...
dropped all charges against Johnston, without stating a reason. Johnston stated that he had been financially ruined, and that "My name will never be restored". His business was the subject of a management buyout shortly after his initial arrest.
Shooting death
Gray was shot five times in the back and killed outside his father's house in east Belfast's loyalist Clarawood estate on 4 October 2005, by two unknown gunmen. The shooting took place at 20.00 while he was unloading weight-lifting equipment from the boot of his silver Mini Cooper. As his body lay on the front lawn, delighted locals took photos and cheerfully regaled the news to others via their mobile phones. The involvement of other loyalist factions was suspected, fuelling speculation that he was murdered through fears of him making an agreement with the police to expose his former associates in the UDA.Gray's only son, Jonathan, died of a drugs overdose in 2002 while with his father on holiday in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. An October 2005 report by the Belfast Telegraph claimed that Gray was bisexual and would regularly take vacations to Thailand to have sex with teenage boys.
East Belfast MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (politician)
Peter David Robinson is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party...
(to date the incumbent First Minister of Northern Ireland) stated after his killing that "there was no excuse for the murder". Fellow UDA member and former friend, Michael Stone claimed that Gray had told him he was a businessman rather than a loyalist, as loyalism did not pay the bills.
Unlike most brigadiers, he was not given an extravagant paramilitary funeral, complete with volleys of gunfire fired over the coffin; instead it was a private affair, attended by a small group of just 14 mourners. As a further sign of his unpopularity amongst loyalists, a street disco was held in east Belfast to celebrate his death. Gray's effigy, with a curtain ring representing his trademark single gold earring, was thrown upon a bonfire. In lieu of murals dedicated to his memory, there is only graffiti scrawled on an east Belfast wall which reads: "Jim Gray RIP - Rest in Pink".