Sudanese asylum seeker charged with attempted murder after Belfast stabbing

Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old from Sudan, faces an attempted murder charge following a knife attack in Belfast that left Stephen Ogilvie without sight in one eye.

Sudanese asylum seeker charged with attempted murder after Belfast stabbing

A 30-year-old man originally from Sudan has been accused of trying to kill another individual during a knife assault in Belfast.

Hadi Alodid stood before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday facing an attempted murder charge. The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, was left without vision in one eye and suffered severe cuts across his head, face and back during Monday's incident.

The stabbing happened in a nationalist part of the city but triggered rioting in loyalist neighbourhoods. Over the following days, violent protests broke out across Belfast.

Police in the North said on Saturday they had detained 23 people in connection with the disturbances, with 17 of those now facing court proceedings.

Alodid crossed into Northern Ireland by bus from the Republic in February 2023, having earlier flown into Dublin from Paris. He sought asylum after arriving and received permission to remain in Britain until 2028.

The assault and the subsequent unrest led to a large anti-racism gathering outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday, put together by the Unite Against Racism organisation. Thousands turned out for the Together Against Hate event, carrying signs with messages such as "Racists go home" and "The problem is evil and violence, not race".

Among those addressing the crowd was SDLP Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole, who earlier in the week said he could have "cried with anger, fear, and frustration at the hate on our streets". Belfast's Sinn Féin Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly, who had been warned by officers that her life was under threat, told demonstrators the city is "stronger" thanks to its diversity.

Mal O'Hara of the Green Party said: "When I saw the video, my first thought was with Stephen Ogilvie and his family and those who witnessed that horrific attack. But immediately afterwards a chill went down my spine because I knew the racist and fascist manipulators would use it as an excuse to attack people, and so they did."

Social media posts from prominent figures including Elon Musk, who owns platform X, had amplified calls for street protests following Monday's assault.

Source: The Irish Times

Source: Irish Times