Man held in McCartney murder probe

A man was being questioned tonight in connection with the murder of Robert McCartney in a Belfast pub brawl.

A police spokesman confirmed that detectives investigating the murder of the 33-year-old were questioning a suspect.

Mr McCartney, from the Mountpottinger Road area of east Belfast was battered and stabbed to death after a bar fight which was witnessed by more than 100 people.

His family claim the IRA have intimidated witnesses to prevent police identifying the killers. A top IRA man is one of the chief suspects linked to the murder of Mr McCartney.

The IRA has denied involvement in what it described as “a brutal killing”.