Pressure on SF over ‘horrific’pub killing
Up to six IRA men, including the former head of the Belfast brigade of the IRA, are believed to have been involved in the killing of Robert McCartney, a 33-year-old father of two.
He was beaten with sewer rods outside a pub, had his throat slashed and was repeatedly kicked in the head. He then received a fatal stab wound to his stomach.
Mr McCartney was attacked after he dragged his seriously injured friend outside Magennis’s Whiskey Cafe bar in south Belfast. His friend, Brendan Devine, had his throat slit on the orders of a leading IRA member, in clear view of many of the estimated 70 customers in the pub. No witnesses have come forward because of IRA intimidation.
Up to 15 people were involved in the attack. After killing Mr McCartney, the gang walked back into the pub, locked the doors and issued a chilling warning to the customers: if anyone talked, everyone in the bar would be held responsible.
People in the bar were ordered not to make any phone calls, even for an ambulance. The bar was then cleaned by the gang.
Rather than encouraging witnesses to contact the PSNI, Sinn Féin’s official line is that people should go to a priest or a solicitor. Mr Devine remains in hospital under police protection.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny attacked Sinn Féin over its response to what he said was a “horrific act against an innocent man”.
“The mandate that Sinn Féin so often cite does not cover such brutality, or the force of fear that allows the murderers forensically clean the scene, or the threatening of people not to go to the police,” he said.
While the Government has not formally raised the killing of Mr McCartney with Sinn Féin, it has factored the murder into its hardening stance on IRA criminality as well as Sinn Féin’s refusal to acknowledge the role and authority of the PSNI and the gardaí.
The full force of the IRA is now being used to intimidate witnesses and prevent the killers of Mr McCartney being brought to justice, SDLP leader Mark Durkan said yesterday. “Many of those IRA people have been prominent Sinn Féin election workers and minders for their politicians,” he said.
Mr McCartney’s sister, Paula, urged people to come forward and speak to the police.
