McCartney sisters meet Hain

The sisters and fiancee of murder victim Robert McCartney today met Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain as part of their campaign to bring the people involved in their brother’s killing to justice.

The family held private talks with Peter Hain at Stormont Castle, just over an hour after the minister held a separate meeting with Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and senior party figures.

Paula McCartney declined to reveal what was said during the talks, which lasted an hour, but said it was "a productive meeting".

Paula was joined by her sisters Catherine, Gemma, Donna and Claire and Mr McCartney’s fiancee Bridgeen Hagans.

Mr McCartney, a father-of-two, was battered and stabbed in an alley outside Magennis’s Bar near the Markets area of south Belfast on January 30.

Since then his sisters and Ms Hagans have led a sustained campaign in Europe and on both sides of the Atlantic in a bid to prosecute his killers.

Last month a 49-year-old man appeared in court charged with his murder.

A second man was charged with the attempted murder of Mr McCartney’s friend, Brendan Devine, on the same night.

Both men have been remanded in custody and will reappear on separate dates.