A man remains in a serious condition in hospital in Belfast after a serious knife attack in the north of the city on Monday evening. A man arrested at the scene has been charged with attempted murder and is due to appear in court on Wednesday.
Attack Details
The attack unfolded around 10:30 PM on Monday evening in Kinnaird Avenue, a residential street close to the Antrim Road in north Belfast. Graphic video footage captured of the attack appears to show a man repeatedly stabbing at the head and neck of a prone victim lying on the ground. The clip shows people, including one with a hurling stick, intervening to stop the assault continuing. Police arrived on the scene within minutes and a man was arrested. A kitchen knife was also recovered from the scene.
A man in his 40s sustained significant injuries to his eyes and serious slash wounds to his back and face. He remained in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday evening.
Heroic Intervention
Passerby Matt McKiernan, 32, grabbed his son's hurling stick out of the boot of the car and "smashed" the knifeman repeatedly over the head. He and his friend, Andre, who is trained in Brazilian jujitsu, had been to the petrol station when they saw the horror unfolding. His heroic actions inspired a friend to set up a GoFundMe page to "buy him a pint." Within hours, the page amassed over £10,000.
Suspect Details
A man aged 30, believed to be from Somali but later clarified as a Sudanese national, was arrested and later charged. He lived close to where the attack took place. He has been charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place, and making threats to kill. The man is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. In Northern Ireland, authorities do not release the name of accused persons before they appear in court.
Immigration Status
The accused was granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2023. He applied for asylum status on arrival in Northern Ireland in February of the same year, having travelled to Belfast on a bus from Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Previously, he had travelled from Sudan to Paris on dates unknown and subsequently flew from Paris to Dublin, again on a date unknown. The man has been granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
Police Investigation
Police in Northern Ireland have ruled out a terror-related motive for the attack at this point, but detectives have stressed that the investigation is at a very early stage and they are keeping an open mind. Politicians across the UK have condemned the incident. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer branded it "sickening," while the leaders of the five main parties at Stormont issued a rare joint statement voicing their concern. The politicians also appealed for calm amid fears that anti-immigration protests organized in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the UK could turn violent.
Protests Erupt
Protesters set fire to a bus in Belfast as disorder flared at an anti-immigration demonstration. A senior officer said police in the region are currently dealing with "sporadic pockets of disorder" in a number of locations. Masked males set commercial bins alight and pushed them into the Glider bus on the Newtownards Road in the east of the city on Tuesday evening. It came as a large crowd gathered in the area for a scheduled anti-immigration protest. Demonstrations are taking place in areas across Northern Ireland following Monday night's incident. There are reports of roads being blocked at a number of locations in Belfast and in other parts of Northern Ireland.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: "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."
