Michael Stone (loyalist) - Move To Loyalism

Move To Loyalism

In 1970 Stone helped establish a Braniel street gang, which called itself the Hole in the Wall Gang, and which Stone claims included Catholic and Protestant members. Gang members, who adopted a form of uniform consisting of blue jeans and oxblood Dr. Martens and who carried knives, clashed regularly with members of other Braniel gangs as well as those from neighbouring estates in east Belfast. In 1971 Stone joined a "Tartan Gang" that had started up on the Braniel estate and he soon was recognised as "General" of this unofficial loyalist group. The gangs were responsible for sectarian violence, which usually took the form of spending Saturday afternoons in Belfast city centre attacking Catholic youths and vandalising the Catholic repository in Chapel Lane.

Stone met Tommy Herron, commander of the UDA's East Belfast Brigade, when he moved into the Braniel estate in 1972. According to Stone Herron took him and three friends to the neighbouring Castlereagh hills one day and brought a German Shepherd Dog with them. After the four had played with the dog for around half an hour Herron produced a gun and told them to kill the dog. After his three friends refused Stone shot the animal and was praised by Herron for being ruthless. He was sworn in as a member of the UDA at a ceremony the following week. Stone was trained in weapon use by Herron himself for several months and according to Stone at one point in the training Herron even shot him with a blank round from a shotgun.

Stone's early UDA activity was mostly confined to stealing and in 1972 he was sent to prison for six months for stealing guns and ammunition from a Comber sports shop. He returned to jail soon after his release for stealing a car. Tommy Herron was murdered soon afterwards and the Braniel UDA went into abeyance.