Simpson, a native of the Tiger's Bay area of north Belfast, joined the UDA in the early 1970s, claiming later that he did so as he felt that "there was no one to defend our streets from republicans in the New Lodge [a neighbouring Catholic district]".
[2] Simpson was, along with Jackie McDonald, John Gregg and Billy McFarland, one of the brigadiers on stage during Johnny Adair's "Loyalist Day of Culture" on the Lower Shankill on 19 August 2000.
[4] Tommy English, an Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) spokesman and veteran street-fighter, was killed by the UVF that same night in Newtownabbey, and before long John Gregg's UDA South East Antrim Brigade joined the growing feud.
[9] His drunken rages had also become more frequent, and in one incident he even had to be forcibly ejected from the Mount Inn after he threw a set of pool balls around the bar, damaging a toilet door.
[6] His violent mood swings became a feature of life in his Tiger's Bay stronghold, where intimidation and petty violence became rife, whilst he also co-ordinated a network of protection rackets and supported his wife "Tootsie" in her large-scale fencing operation.
[10] Simpson was finally deposed by the pro-Adair wing in mid-2002 and, following a personal recommendation from a freshly released from prison Adair, the Inner Council endorsed Andre Shoukri as his successor.
Sensing that Borland, who had little background in the UDA, was a weak replacement, Simpson began to openly criticise his lack of experience and made a play to regain command for himself.
On 13 October 2003 around forty of Simpson's closest allies in the UDA went on the rampage in the Ballysillan and Glenbryn estates attacking houses and shops owned by Borland supporters before attempting, unsuccessfully, to kidnap the new brigadier.