McCartney family call for an end to intimidation

THE family of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney have called on senior Sinn Féin members to use their influence to end a ‘fresh round of intimidation’ against their family and friends.

Robert McCartney’s sister, Paula, was speaking after a family friend was attacked near the Short Strand area of east Belfast on Monday night by a gang of men alleged to have close links to her brother’s murderers.

Jeff Commander, a father-of-five and friend of Robert McCartney, was badly beaten in the assault, which followed an altercation between the McCartney family and local republicans.

Mr Commander was attacked with sewer rods, sticks and knives, the same type of weapons used to murder Robert McCartney outside a Belfast city centre pub on January 31.

Robert McCartney’s sisters led a high-profile campaign to have his murderers brought to justice, which caused severe embarrassment to Sinn Féin who were accused of protecting the killers.

“Jeff is a big gentleman and I cannot believe they would actually be so sick as to attack him just because he was a friend of Robert,” said Paula McCartney.

“These people are animals. They were shouting ‘that’s him, get him’, he could have died. We are calling on Sinn Féin to use their influence to get this intimidation stopped.

“Everyone knows that the people who carried out the attack on Jeff are members of the republican movement, they just want us to shut up and disappear.”

Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly condemned the attack and said the party would encourage mediation to deal with the dispute.

“Sinn Féin is totally opposed to intimidation of any type, no matter where it comes from or who it is aimed at. Intimidation is wrong and should not be happening,” he said.

Following the attack, a 50-strong crowd picketed the McCartney’s home in the Short Strand calling for his sister Paula and former partner Bridgeen Hagans to move out of the district.

Paula McCartney has already sold her home, while Bridgeen Hagans is hoping to move out of the area as soon as possible.

Paula said: “You couldn’t live round here anymore, the atmosphere is poisonous, there are at least 15 families in this small community who have relatives who were involved in Robert’s murder.”

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell accused Sinn Féin of using the recent loyalist violence as a smokescreen for intimidating the McCartneys.

“It involves prominent members of Sinn Féin in Belfast who have associations with the IRA.”

He said Sinn Féin had expressed public solidarity to the family but the reality on the ground was radically different.

“Sinn Féin councillors and spokespersons have effectively washed their hands of the situation,” he added.

SDLP MP, Alasdair McDonnell said the attack was the work of republicans. He said republicans had led a systematic campaign of intimidation against the McCartney family since January.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said he was very concerned by the reports of protests and pickets outside the home of members of the McCartney family.

“Such intimidatory tactics are unacceptable and should not be repeated,” he said.

“Officials from the Secretariat in Belfast are also actively working to ascertain the full facts as regards the injuries to relatives and acquaintances of the late Robert McCartney on Sunday night. We are maintaining contact with the family.

“The Government has consistently condemned all forms of violence and intimidation, and we do so again in this instance in the strongest terms.”

Mr Ahern said the McCartney family had already suffered greatly.

“The PSNI is, of course, investigating the case and I would call on anyone with relevant information to pass it on to the police,” he said.

“Only through cooperation with the police can violence and intimidation be eradicated from society in Northern Ireland.”