Andre Shoukri

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Andre Shoukri is a former member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) who has recently been unofficially 'exiled' from Northern Ireland by the leadership of the UDA.

Background

Andre was born in 1977, the son of a Coptic Christian Egyptian father and an Irish mother . He is alleged to have taken over the north Belfast UDA leadership. In July 2003 he received a two year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a gun.

Expulsion from UDA

The expulsion of several members of the UDA is believed to be a result of the organisation's claimed 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 Adair and Jim Gray.

Gareth Parker

In June 1996, Shoukri, then 19, was charged with manslaughter after he was involved in a fight outside a north Belfast pub. He had tried to assault the Catholic tennis player, Gareth Parker, only hours after the Tour of the North Orange march was escorted through nationalist areas of north Belfast by the police. 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.

UPRG

Shoukri and his brother, Ihab, are 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.

Shoukri sentenced to 9 years in prison

On Friday November 30, 2007 Andre Shoukri was sentenced to 9 years in prison at Belfast Crown Court . He was jailed on a total of 18 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 Boreland (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 20 officers was placed outside Court 12 where the case was being heard however no disturbances occurred .

References

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Last updated on Saturday February 23, 2008 at 11:23:13 PST (GMT -0800)
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