Belfast stabbing sufferer was ‘knifed within the eyes’ by Sudanese man as police subject new information
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: The Kinnaird Avenue attack unfolded at around 10.30pm on Monday night, with a man in his 40s being repeatedly stabbed in the eyes, face and neck
Videos of the incident were shared on social media (Image: london_ukstreetnews/Instagram )
A man who was stabbed in a horror frenzied attack on Monday night was “knifed in the eyes” with police confirming a kitchen knife was recovered at the scene.
A Sudanese man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the horror in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast at around 10.30pm on Monday night (June 8).
A local resident described the “chaos” that erupted, as shocking videos circulating online appear to show a man being stabbed repeatedly in the head. In the footage, two bystanders can be seen stepping in to assist the wounded man on the ground. Police initially identified the suspect as being Somalian, but have issued an update saying he is in fact Sudanese.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers were called to Kinnaird Avenue around 10.30pm. Police also confirmed that the injured man, who is in his 40s, is currently in a serious condition in hospital.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that the victim had sustained significant injuries to his eyes, neck, face and back.
Henderson said officers arrived at the scene within minutes of the report to detain and arrest the suspect and to administer first aid. Police recovered “what is believed to be a kitchen knife” at the scene. He said: “The victim was taken to hospital with significant injuries to his eyes and serious slash wound injuries to his back and face.”
He added a man in his 30s was arrested at the scene and is now in custody. Nobody else is being sought in connection to the investigation.
Henderson said there was no reason to believe the incident was terror related. He said: “Today we’ve been liaising with senior counter-terrorism partners. At this stage, we have no information to suggest that this was a terrorist related incident.
“However, I must stress, we are still at the early stages of our investigation. This brutal attack has sent shockwaves through our communities, and I want to reassure all of our communities. Your safety is our priority.”
On rumours of the suspect’s immigration status, Henderson said: “I’m aware of speculation in relation to the suspect’s immigration status. This morning, I’ve been talking to colleagues from the Home Office whose role it is to manage the immigration status of individuals. I can confirm my understanding is that the individual was given leave to remain in Northern Ireland.”
The Assistant Chief Constable stated police believe the suspect lived close by to where the incident took place. ACC Henderson said he’s also aware of social media posts calling for protests. He said in the event that people do hold them, he hopes they remain “peaceful”.
He said: “I want to stress that I absolutely understand that people will be feeling a range of emotions, from fear through to anger and more to have their voice heard… and if there are protests, we very much hope that they will be peaceful. And indeed, we would expect and hope that those people who may want to protest will allow people to go about their own lives.”
Henderson said police will be keeping a visible presence across the next few days to reassure the public, adding: “I want to speak really to all of our communities because I recognise that everyone who has seen what happened last night will be filled with revulsion, fear, horror, and upset.
“We are there to keep them safe. We are actively engaging with community groups across Northern Ireland who we know will be affected by this to help give them that reassurance message, to listen to them and to respond to that.
“So my message is: please, if you’re feeling concerned or worried, please let us know. Contact us and be proactive around that. We’re here for you. We’re here for all our communities.”
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