Gusty Spence

Gusty Spence
Spence in 1972, while at large from prison
Born
Augustus Andrew Spence

(1933-06-28)28 June 1933
Died25 September 2011(2011-09-25) (aged 78)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
NationalityNorthern Irish
Alma materHemsworth Square school
Occupation(s)Shipyard worker, PUP politician[1]
Years active1959–2007
OrganizationUlster Volunteer Force
Known forParamilitarism
Political partyProgressive Unionist Party
MovementUlster loyalism
Criminal chargeMurder
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Criminal statusDeceased
Spouse
Louie Donaldson
(m. 1953; died 2003)
Children3
Parent(s)Ned and Bella Spence
RelativesBilly Spence (brother), Frankie Curry (nephew), Winston Churchill Rea (son-in-law)

Augustus Andrew Spence (28 June 1933[2] – 25 September 2011) was a leader of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and a leading loyalist politician in Northern Ireland. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade.

During his time in prison Spence renounced violence and helped to convince a number of fellow inmates that the future of the UVF lay in a more political approach. Spence joined the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), becoming a leading figure in the group. As a PUP representative he took a principal role in delivering the loyalist ceasefires of 1994.

  1. ^ Ed Moloney, Paisley: From Demagogue to Democrat?, Dublin: Poolbeg, 2008, p. 132
  2. ^ Biographies of people prominent during 'the Troubles': S Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 5 April 2011.