The South East Antrim UDA have dealt a bad beating to one of their members for attacking a rival loyalist twice his age.

he hides, sanctioned by SEA UDA chief Gary Fisher, is seen as an olive branch to the UVF to reduce tension between paramilitary gangs.

The bad feeling between the groups has grown in the Rathcoole Estate in Newtownabbey following two recent assaults on UVF veterans by much younger members of the SEA UDA.

The latest happened two weeks ago when a pensioner was beaten by a convicted rioter after leaving the Fern Lodge bar. Grandfather’s injuries were so severe that an ambulance had to be called to take him to hospital.

UVF bosses met with SEA UDA leaders calling for retaliation and last Sunday night the gang gave in to demands by beating their rioter in a pre-arranged ‘punishment’ attack.

“He was left with a few broken bones as punishment for assaulting the old man,” a loyalist source told Sunday Life.

“He was also fired from Rathcoole by SEA UDA, despite being a member.”

Insiders say SEA UDA leader Fisher had no choice but to act because the rioter’s actions violated a long-standing agreement between rival loyalist gangs not to stand together. tackle.

“Fisher doesn’t have time for the UVF, but he had to do something because the attack violated the Monkstown agreement,” our source added.

“He hopes this will calm things down at Rathcoole, where there is a lot of bad feeling between the groups. The SEA UDA accused the UVF of touting their drug traffickers in exchange for getting government grants for community projects – that’s what started all these problems.