Gusty Spence
Gusty Spence | |
|---|---|
Spence in 1972, while at large from prison | |
| Born | Augustus Andrew Spence 28 June 1933 |
| Died | 25 September 2011 (aged 78) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | Hemsworth Square school |
| Occupations | Shipyard worker, Royal Irish Rifles soldier, PUP politician |
| Years active | 1959–2007 |
| Organization | Ulster Volunteer Force |
| Known for | Paramilitarism |
| Political party | Progressive Unionist Party |
| Movement | Ulster loyalism |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Spouse |
Louie Donaldson
(m. 1953; died 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Ned and Bella Spence |
| Relatives | Billy Spence (brother), Frankie Curry (nephew), Winston Churchill Rea (son-in-law) |
Augustus Andrew Spence (28 June 1933 – 25 September 2011) was a Northern Irish Ulster loyalist, politician, and militant who was the leader of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). 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.