16 Facts About Stephen McKeag

Stephen McKeag, nicknamed Top Gun, was a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary and a Commander of the Ulster Defence Association's 'C' Company in the 1990s.

Stephen McKeag is responsible for many killings of Catholics and Irish republicans.

Stephen McKeag struck again on 8 August 1993, killing Sean Lavery at the Antrim Road home of his father Bobby Lavery, a Sinn Fein councillor who had been the target of the attack.

Stephen McKeag was held in prison soon after this attack for the Hughes trial and the mantle of top hitman in C Company temporarily passed to Gary "Smickers" Smyth.

On 23 January 1998 he was involved in the killing of Liam Conway on north Belfast's Hesketh Road, although Stephen McKeag was brought before the Inner Council of the UDA for this attack as the movement had declared a ceasefire a few hours earlier.

Stephen McKeag claimed that the attack was in response to the continuing activity of the INLA, and his fearsome reputation meant that the Inner Council would not reprimand him, even though the murder resulted in the Ulster Democratic Party being excluded from all-party talks.

Stephen McKeag suffered a number of broken bones and required several operations, including the insertion of pins into his leg, and as a consequence he developed an addiction to painkillers.

Stephen McKeag had a collapsed lung and stomach damage and for a time had to wear a urostomy bag.

Smyth continued the resentment a few months later when, as Stephen McKeag received another "Volunteer of the Year" prize, he yelled "what about me" from the audience.

Stephen McKeag however refused to take part and was severely beaten by Adair and his allies and cut off from organised loyalism altogether.

One of Stephen McKeag's girlfriends was Jacqueline Newell who had previously been involved with Derek Adgey, a one-time member of the Royal Marines.

Outside of his loyalist activities Stephen McKeag had a reputation for having unusual hobbies.

An animal lover, Stephen McKeag variously owned a Rottweiler dog, a parrot, an iguana, a scorpion, a snake and a collection of tropical fish, and had even attempted to purchase a monkey until his then live-in girlfriend prevented him from doing so.

Stephen McKeag had an extensive collection of electronic gadgets and mixed rave music tunes as a hobby.

Stephen McKeag was found dead by family members at his home at Florence Court off the Crumlin Road on 24 September 2000.

Stephen McKeag's face was heavily bruised and a crossbow bolt embedded into the wall nearby, and it was initially assumed that he had been killed; however a post-mortem found that his death was caused by a lethal combination of painkillers and cocaine.