McCartney sisters plead for motorist to come forward
The gang who attacked the 33-year-old father of two spilled out of a Belfast bar and on to the street, directly in front of the motorist who had stopped at a traffic junction.
New details of the blue car and its occupant were disclosed yesterday as Mr McCartney’s sisters pleaded for witnesses to help bring the IRA killers to justice.
On the first anniversary of the murder, his sister Paula said: “We are practically begging people, please if they have any information at all, release it and put this family out of the misery they have been suffering.”
A man has been charged with killing Mr McCartney. Up to 15 people are suspected of involvement in the knifing and clean-up.
Mr McCartney’s sisters and his partner believe IRA intimidation has frightened many of the people who were in the pub on the night from assisting police.
But a detective heading the murder hunt said the driver of a blue car, make and model unknown, could help police crack the case.
The vehicle, which was on East Bridge Street waiting to turn onto Victoria Street, stopped at traffic lights for up to 70 seconds close to the scene of the attack, Inspector Philip Marshall revealed.
He said: “We believe the occupant or occupants of that car were aware of something happening on the road directly in front of them.
“They may have believed it was a drunken scuffle involving a number of men or someone being punched.
“But it’s important they are aware that this was an attack that led to the murder of Robert McCartney.”
The murder, just weeks after the IRA carried out the Northern Bank heist in Belfast, plunged the republican movement into crisis.
His sisters’ campaign for justice has seen them meet US President George W Bush, a British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
One year on, Paula McCartney insisted the pain and trauma would not ease until the gang responsible were all caught.
“Our grieving process has been hindered by the fact the people who took his life for no reason at all have not been held to account.
“We also believe if we had some closure by these people being brought to justice it would help in the grieving process of this family.”
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said: “Those responsible for the brutal killing of Robert McCartney should admit to what they did.
“That is the only decent thing for them to do.”
