Members of the McCartney family have expressed cautious optimism of a breakthrough in the PSNI investigation into the murder of their brother, Robert, after two men were arrested yesterday in Britain and Northern Ireland.
The men were being questioned by detectives last night in Antrim PSNI station and can be held for 72 hours without charge. One man aged 36 was arrested in Birmingham when armed police burst into his bedsit in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The second man, aged 49, was arrested in Belfast. Both men are said by local sources to be from the Markets area of Belfast, close to the nationalist Short Strand where 33-year-old Robert McCartney lived with his partner Bridgeen and two children.
The sources said the two men arrested were alleged to be centrally involved in the fatal stabbing of Mr McCartney outside Magennis's pub in Belfast on January 30th and in the wounding of Brendan Devine.
Both men were previously questioned and released without charge. What makes this arrest significant is that to detain suspects for a second time police must have additional grounds.
The PSNI confirmed two arrests but gave no other details. One of the problems facing investigating detectives was that some of those involved in the killing attempted to clean the area around Magennis's of forensic evidence.
They also stole CCTV film that might have revealed how Mr McCartney was killed and who killed him. A number of IRA members were involved in the killing and the subsequent destruction of evidence, although the IRA did not officially sanction the murder.
Another well-placed local source told The Irish Times yesterday that, notwithstanding this "cleaning" operation, police told him they had some forensic evidence from the scene. They also had CCTV film taken from the nearby law courts.
In all, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the murder. About six people were arrested shortly after the murder but not charged.
Thereafter, following appeals from Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, six people were arrested after they voluntarily went to the police with their solicitors. A number of republicans were also expelled and suspended respectively from the IRA and Sinn Féin.
None of those who went voluntarily to the police were charged. Security sources said none of those arrested provided any useful evidence to identify the killers. The McCartneys also complained that some of those who went to the police were engaging in a charade as they "just stared at the walls and did not tell police anything".
However, Robert's sister, Paula, said yesterday she now held out some hope that police could be on the verge of a breakthrough.
"I think what is different this time is that police are being proactive in going out and arresting people rather than having the people come to them," she said.
"We have been disappointed before, but still we are cautiously optimistic that people will be charged this time," she added.
Ms McCartney said the family would maintain their "Justice for Robert" campaign in Ireland and abroad. Next week members of the family will meet mayor of London Ken Livingstone.
