39 Facts About Johnny Adair

In 2002 Adair was expelled from the organisation following a violent internal power struggle.

Johnny Adair was born into an Ulster Protestant loyalist family and raised in Belfast.

Johnny Adair grew up on the Old Lodge Road, a now mostly demolished road linking the lower Shankill Road to the lower Oldpark area, a site of many sectarian clashes and riots during the Troubles.

The son of Jimmy and Mabel Johnny Adair, he was the youngest of their seven children, his siblings being Margaret, Mabel, Jean, Etta, Lizzie and Archie.

Johnny Adair's father, Jimmy, had no involvement in loyalist activities and maintained close friendships with a number of nationalists in the New Lodge area, where he was a member of the local homing pigeon society.

At 17, Johnny Adair began a relationship with Gina Crossan, three years his junior and a skinhead, who at the time had shaved her head to leave only a tuft of hair at the front.

Johnny Adair was not replaced; instead the organisation was run by its Inner Council.

Johnny Adair succeeded Jim Spence as brigadier in 1993 after Spence was imprisoned for extortion.

When Johnny Adair became the first person in Northern Ireland charged with directing terrorism in 1995, he admitted that he had been a UDA leader for three years up to 1994.

Johnny Adair once remarked to a Catholic journalist from the Republic of Ireland that normally Catholics traveled in the boot of his car.

Johnny Adair was convicted on 6 September 1995 and sentenced to 16 years in the Maze prison.

Johnny Adair was held with other loyalist prisoners in their "block" of the prison.

In January 1998, Johnny Adair was one of five loyalist prisoners visited in the prison by British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam.

Johnny Adair's co-operation was essential as he was regarded as the key figure in securing the support of the other loyalist prisoners.

Johnny Adair blamed the shooting on republicans, although a drug dealer was responsible.

In September 1999, Johnny Adair was released as part of the early-release scheme for paramilitary prisoners under the Belfast Agreement.

Johnny Adair invited the five other brigadiers from the Inner Council to attend, along with loyalist Michael Stone and politicians John White and Frank McCoubrey.

Johnny Adair's men sacked the homes of Gusty Spence and Winston Churchill Rea as part of a move to drive the UVF off the Shankill.

Johnny Adair was arrested on 22 August 2000 whilst he and Dodds were driving down the Shankill Road.

On 15 May 2002, Johnny Adair was released from prison again.

Once free, he was a key part of an effort to forge stronger ties between the UDA and the LVF, a small breakaway faction of the UVF founded in 1996 by Billy Wright and following his killing, commanded by Mark "Swinger" Fulton, with whom Johnny Adair was on good terms.

Johnny Adair sought to work closely with Belfast-based dissidents such as Frankie Curry and Jackie Mahood, provoking further anger from the UVF.

Johnny Adair later admitted in an interview he gave for journalist Suzanne Breen that Duddy never got over the loss of Bambi.

Johnny Adair had been spreading rumours that Gray and John Gregg, head of the UDA South East Antrim Brigade, were both to be stood down as part of his attempts to take full control of the UDA.

On 20 September 2002, Johnny Adair was summoned to an Inner Council meeting held in Sandy Row where there was a showdown between him and the other brigadiers, including Gray.

Five days later, Johnny Adair was expelled from the UDA for treason along with close associate John White.

Johnny Adair returned to prison in January 2003, when his early release licence was revoked by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Paul Murphy on grounds of engaging in unlawful activity.

Johnny Adair appointed "Fat" Jackie Thompson as his replacement as Brigadier.

Johnny Adair built up a close relationship with these far right activists, even wearing an England shirt during UEFA Euro 2000 that one of the members had given him.

Johnny Adair was released from prison on 10 January 2005 and immediately headed to Bolton after being taken by helicopter to nearby Manchester.

Johnny Adair himself was arrested and fined for assault and threatening behaviour in September 2005.

Johnny Adair had married Gina Crossan, his partner for many years, at the Maze prison on 21 February 1997.

In November 2006, the UK's Five television channel transmitted an observational documentary on Johnny Adair made by Donal MacIntyre.

Johnny Adair was seen firing rifles, stating it was the first time he had done so without wearing gloves.

In November 2008, Johnny Adair appeared in an episode of Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men which profiled fellow C Company inmate Sam "Skelly" McCrory.

Johnny Adair Jr died from an accidental overdose while celebrating the day after his release from prison for motoring offences.

Johnny Adair Jr had been in and out of prison since the family fled Northern Ireland.

Johnny Adair served a five-year sentence for dealing heroin and crack cocaine.

Johnny Adair was facing trial later that year on drugs charges.