Accused knife attacker, victim named in court after night of terror in Belfast

Accused knife attacker, victim named in court after night of terror in Belfast

Prosecutors suggest the victim has been left blinded in one eye after Monday night attack

People evacuated from homes burned in Belfast unrest

A 30-year-old man from Sudan appeared in a Belfast court Wednesday charged with attempted murder over a knife attack that left a victim seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence in several parts of Northern Ireland.

Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered held in jail after an appearance by video in Belfast Magistrates' Court, where he was accused of blinding Stephen Ogilvie in his left eye during the stabbing, prosecutors said. He was also charged with threatening to kill a radiographer on the same day and with possessing a knife.

Alodid refused legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said there is no information to suggest the attack is terrorism-related and they are not seeking other suspects.

The court appearance followed a night of violence in which masked men set fire to several homes they believed to house immigrants, burned trash bins, torched a Belfast bus and pelted police with objects. Firefighters rescued several people from burning homes.

Anselme Shima, a Belfast resident originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he saw smoke from burning vehicles near his home.

"I've lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbours, but last night was a horrific one," he said. "We don't know what to do. I'm scared. Seeing this, I'm wondering if I'm next."

Belfast stabbing sparks night of violent unrest

Politicians from both parts of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O'Neill of the Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said it was "thuggery."

"Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice," she said.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said that "taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong."

Northern Ireland police, British politicians appeal for calm after Belfast stabbing attack

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The street violence erupted despite calls from politicians for calm.

"The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X. "There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it."

Jon Boutcher, chief constable of the Northern Ireland, promised accountability for those who committed crimes, drawing a comparison to rioting and violence that took place in the wake of an alleged sexual assault incident last year, in which over 100 people were arrested.

Boutcher said what transpired on Tuesday night was "an insult" to the victim of his family, and those who intervened to "save a man's life" in the attack the previous evening.

"Those that were involved in the violence, let me say this: We will come and arrest you and we will prosecute you."

Monday's attack, caught in graphic video footage that quickly spread on social media, was seized on by anti-immigration activists.

Defendant had applied for asylum

Protests were encouraged online by far-right activists including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. Elon Musk, X founder, also encouraged the protesters on the social media platform.

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said social media agitators who "yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map" were "weaponizing" the fears of local people.

Police said Alodid entered Northern Ireland from Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was given a five-year permit to remain.

Irish police rule out terrorism after ‘brutal’ knife attack

Some politicians said the stabbing should spark a review of the open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland.

The border is a highly sensitive issue. Allowing the free flow of people back and forth is a major pillar of the peace process that largely ended decades of violence known as The Troubles.

The conflict involving Irish Republican and British Loyalist militants and U.K. security forces left almost 3,600 people dead before a 1998 peace accord.

Protests related to the Belfast knife attack also occurred in several Scotland cities on Tuesday, as well as in Southampton, England. Southhampton also saw violent protests last week in the wake of the sentencing of a British-born Sikh man convicted of the homicide of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a British-Polish citizen.