A man allegedly subjected to a vicious assault in north Belfast has lost his left eye, a court was told. Hadi Alodid, 30, stood before Belfast Magistrates' Court facing charges of attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, making threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possessing a knife. The charges stem from an incident in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast at approximately 10.30pm on Monday, June 8.
Court Proceedings
Hadi 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. 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. He appeared in court via videolink and made no reply to the charges when they were put to him through the interpreter.
Injuries and Evidence
At Wednesday's court proceedings, it emerged that Mr Ogilvie sustained catastrophic injuries during the alleged assault and lost his left eye. Video footage circulating on social media appears to depict a man repeatedly lunging with a blade at the head and neck of another man lying on the ground in the middle of a residential street. The clip also captures members of the public stepping in to halt the assault, including one person wielding what looked like a hurling stick. Police officers reached the scene within minutes and detained a suspect. A kitchen knife was subsequently recovered.
Remand and Aftermath
Following the hearing, Alodid was remanded in custody for four weeks. The alleged assault has generated considerable tensions in Belfast and follows disorder in parts of Northern Ireland. On Tuesday evening, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that disturbances had erupted in several locations. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson stated: "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. 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. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at locations in Glasgow city centre with their faces covered. Many were chanting, with Union flags and banners on show. Dozens of protesters also demonstrated at St Andrew's Square in Edinburgh before marching along Princes Street shouting with blue flares and saltires. About 100 also staged a demonstration in Ayr. A large number of police officers were deployed in Glasgow and diverted the protesters away from the city centre. A number of streets and bridges were also closed.
