A Sudanese man appeared before a Belfast court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder after a stabbing that left a local man seriously injured and was followed by anti-immigrant violence across parts of Northern Ireland, according to AP.
Hadi Alodid, 30, was remanded in custody after appearing by video link at Belfast Magistrates’ Court. Prosecutors allege he seriously injured Stephen Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, during a knife attack on Monday that was captured on video and widely shared online.
The incident subsequently became a flashpoint for anti-immigration activists, while overnight unrest saw homes attacked, vehicles set ablaze and police officers targeted with projectiles.
A detective told the court that Alodid blinded Ogilvie in his left eye during the attack. He was also charged with possessing a knife and threatening to kill a radiographer while receiving treatment for a hand injury after the incident.
According to police evidence presented in court, officers arriving at the scene found Alodid on top of the victim and armed with a kitchen knife.
Prosecutors said he later told hospital staff, “I’ve killed someone, I don’t know if they are dead,” before allegedly threatening a healthcare worker by saying, “I will kill you.”
Alodid declined legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea.
The court appearance came after a night of disorder in Belfast and other areas, where masked groups targeted properties believed to be housing immigrants.
Several homes were set alight, rubbish bins were burned, a public bus was torched, and police officers came under attack.
Firefighters rescued a number of people from burning buildings as violence spread through affected neighbourhoods.
Among those caught up in the unrest was Anselme Shima, a Belfast resident originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who described witnessing smoke rising from burning vehicles near his home.
“I’ve lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbours, but last night was a horrific one,” he said. “We don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Seeing this, I’m wondering if I’m next.”
Police Chief Constable Jon Boutcher told the BBC that several families, including one with a baby, had to be evacuated and taken to police stations for protection.
“These weren’t just families from ethnic minority communities, these were families from across communities that were caught up in this vile behaviour last night,” Boutcher said. “There is absolutely no excuse for it.”
Political leaders across Northern Ireland’s power-sharing administration condemned the violence.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Fein described the attacks as “thuggery”.
“Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” she said.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the Democratic Unionist Party said public anger over the stabbing should not be directed at innocent people.
“Taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong,” she said.
Police said Alodid entered Northern Ireland from the neighbouring Republic of Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was granted permission to remain for five years.
Authorities said there was no evidence to suggest the stabbing was terrorism-related and confirmed they were not seeking any additional suspects.
Despite repeated appeals for calm, the attack and subsequent circulation of video footage online intensified tensions around immigration. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned both the stabbing and the violence that followed.
Describing the attack as “sickening”, Starmer said attacks on people because of their background would not be tolerated.
“The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable,” he wrote on X. “There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere.
It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background, and I will not tolerate it.”
Officials said far-right activists had used social media platforms to encourage protests.
Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long accused outside agitators of exploiting public fears.
She told the BBC that individuals who “yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map” were “weaponizing” local concerns. Long said driving people from their homes because of the colour of their skin amounted to racism.
The unrest has also revived discussion about the open border between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. Some politicians argued the stabbing should prompt a review of current arrangements.
The border remains a highly sensitive issue because the free movement of people across it is a central element of the peace process that helped end decades of violence known as The Troubles.
The conflict, involving Irish republican militants, British loyalist groups and UK security forces, claimed nearly 3,600 lives before the 1998 peace agreement.
Much of Tuesday’s disorder occurred in working-class districts where former paramilitary organisations continue to wield influence.
The debate has unfolded against the backdrop of another recent case in England that also fuelled arguments over immigration, policing and race. Last week, activists and US Vice President JD Vance cited the fatal stabbing of university student Henry Nowak in Southampton.
Nowak was killed in December by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh man who falsely told police he had been the victim of a racist assault.
Digwa was convicted of murder and sentenced last week to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. The case prompted protests, some of which turned violent, leading to several arrests on charges of violent disorder.
