01/02/2005

Police arrest two men in connection with murder

Police have arrested two men in connection with the murder of a man in a Belfast pub on Sunday.

Robert McCartney, 33, from the Short Strand area of east Belfast died from stab wounds following a bar brawl at Magenniss’ bar in May Street at around 11pm.

He was found unconscious in nearby Cromac Street suffering from a stab wound to the stomach and died later in hospital. A 31-year-old also sustained a stab wound to the abdomen.

On Monday morning a number of searches were carried out in relation to the murder at Madrid Street and Perry Court in the Short Strand area of the city.

Last night searches were also carried out in the mainly nationalist Markets area where officers were attacked with bricks, bottles and stones during the operation.

South Belfast Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey reacted furiously to the searches describing them as “heavy handed”.

“This sort of heavy handed policing belongs in the past,” the former Lord Mayor of Belfast said.

Magennis's Bar, meanwhile, has been cordoned off for more than 24 hours while forensic scientists search the area where the stabbing took place.

(MB)

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