Last Updated: Wednesday, January 30, 2008, 15:13

McCartney murder trial date set

The trial of the only man charged with the murder of Robert McCartney outside a Belfast bar will go ahead the next few months, it was confirmed today.

Terence Davison (51) will go on trial in Belfast on either April 7th or May 12th - depending on openings on the Court List, said a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Court Service.

Two other men will stand trial with him charged with affray.

Details were confirmed as Mr McCartney's family marked the third anniversary of his death. The father of two (33) died the day after he was beaten and stabbed outside a bar close to Belfast city centre.

At least ten people were involved in the killing and his sisters, Paula, Catherine, Donna, Gemma and Claire, together with his fiancee Bridgeen Hagans, have fought to lift the wall of silence which has surrounded the murder.

The have campaigned around the world for pressure to be put on the IRA and Sinn Féin to help convict the killers.

The McCartneys marked the anniversary in their own way away from the spotlight. They are now pinning their hopes on the trial providing more information about the murder which would enable them to mount a civil action against those they believe are responsible in the same way the Omagh bomb families are.

"We hope that the murder trial will open the doors to allow us to take a civil action against the people we believe were behind Robert's murder," said Paula.