Gary Smyth (loyalist)

Gary Smyth
Born	Gary Smyth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Other names	"Smickers" "Chiefo"
Occupation	Pet shop owner
Organization	Ulster Defence Association
Known for	Loyalist paramilitary
Title	Commander of C Company
Term	-2002
Successor	Alan McCullough

Gary Smyth (sometimes written as Gary Smith or Garry Smyth) is a Northern Irish former loyalist paramilitary. Smyth was an active member of the West Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association during the Troubles. He was known by the nickname "Smickers" throughout his paramilitary career, although he was also sometimes called "Chiefo".

A native of Belfast's Shankill Road, David Lister and Hugh Jordan state that Smyth joined the UDA for the first time around 1980 but left again in 1981 after a disagreement with his superiors. William "Bucky" McCullough, a leading figure in the West Belfast Brigade, was killed at his Shankill home by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) in 1981 and Smyth hatched a plan for shoot up a bus stop on the republican Falls Road in retaliation. When the plan was Vetoed by Smyth's superiors he left the UDA in disgust at what he perceived to be their inaction.

At a later unspecified date Smyth, who also ran a pet shop on the Shankill Road, rejoined the UDA as a member of C14, a unit of C Company which was active in the lower Shankill. Smyth's reputation as a ruthless operator brought him to the attention of Johnny Adair, a rising star from C8, and the two became close as Adair rapidly ascended the ranks. In 1990 Smyth was made second in command of C Company and thus deputy to Adair. According to Lister & Jordan Smyth was somewhat older than Adair, being described as "in his thirties" in 1990. However, in 2004 he was described by two separate newspapers as being 38, making him the same age as Adair. In 1990 C Company had come into possession of a rocket-propelled grenade anti-tank weapon and Smyth proved one of the few members of the group to show proficiency with the unusual piece of artillery. As a result, Smyth and fellow C Company member Gary McMaster were chosen on 12 February 1994 to travel to Andersonstown where they fired the weapon at Connolly House, causing extensive damage to the Sinn Féin headquarters.

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