Belfast knife assault sufferer named regionally as protesters set fireplace to metropolis
A 30-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after the victim, in his 40s, suffered serious injuries to his face, neck and back in the vicious attack
Vehicles and properties set on fire by protesters on Lendrick Street in Belfast, close to the Newtownards Road(Image: PA)
The victim of Monday’s brutal knife assault in a Belfast street has been locally identified as Stephen Ogilvie.
As per the PSNI, the victim, in his 40s, was still in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday, receiving treatment for severe injuries to his eye, face and back.
A man aged 30 has been charged with attempted murder following a man sustaining “significant injuries” to his face, neck and back on Monday evening.
Details of the attack, which occurred on Kinnaird Avenue in the city’s north, were disclosed after graphic footage of the stabbing was widely circulated online.
The video shows individuals, including one armed with a hurling stick, intervening to halt the man assaulting the victim in the residential area of Kinnaird Avenue, near the bustling Antrim Road in north Belfast, reports Belfast Live.
A kitchen knife was retrieved from the scene.
There has been extensive condemnation of Monday night’s knife attack, with large-scale protests erupting across the city.
Police chiefs and political leaders had called for peace amid fears that the planned anti-immigration demonstrations could escalate into violence.
The suspect is a Sudanese national. Earlier on Tuesday, police unveiled details about the arrested man’s immigration status and his journey to the UK.
He entered Northern Ireland via the Irish border in February 2023 after flying to Dublin from Paris.
Upon arrival, the suspect sought asylum and in September 2023 was granted permission to stay in the UK until 2028.
Detectives have stated there is no suggestion Monday’s knife attack was terror-related.
The 30 year old defendant is also charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill. He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
As properties and cars are set alight, and protesters continue on the streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland’s first minister has denounced the action on social media.
Michelle O’Neill says that “groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice”.
