A man who was allegedly stabbed during a ferocious late-night assault in north Belfast has lost his left eye, a court has been told.
Court Appearance
Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (June 10) charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, alongside counts of making threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possessing a knife.
The allegations stem from an incident in the Kinnaird Avenue area shortly after 10.30pm on Monday, during which Mr Ogilvie is said to have sustained catastrophic facial injuries, including the loss of an eye, the Irish Mirror reports.
Alodid refused legal representation and made no reply to charges which were put to him through an Arabic interpreter as he appeared in court charged with attempted murder following the Belfast knife attack.
The 30-year-old, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city's magistrates' court on Wednesday morning via videolink. He is charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie on Monday, with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer on the same day and with the possession of a knife.
Details of the Attack
Footage uploaded to social media appears to show the man repeatedly stabbing his victim in the head and neck area, as he lay on the ground in the middle of a residential street in north Belfast. Members of the public have been praised after the video shows them intervening, including one with a hurling stick, to stop the horrific knife attack. The suspect was arrested as officers were scrambled to the street, recovering a large kitchen knife. Alodid was remanded in custody for four weeks following the hearing.
Unrest in Belfast
The alleged attack has sparked significant tensions in Belfast and comes amid unrest in parts of Northern Ireland. On Tuesday evening (June 9), the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that disorder had broken out in several locations, with social media footage showing cars, buses and homes being set alight in the disruption.
"Sporadic pockets of disorder have broken out in a number of locations across Northern Ireland this evening, including incidents in which a number of vehicles have been set on fire," Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said. "We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk. Officers are on the ground, working alongside partner agencies, responding to incidents as they arise and helping to keep people safe. We are again appealing for calm and ask all voices of influence within local communities to encourage peaceful protest and discourage any involvement in violence or disorder."
The case is due to return before the courts next month.
