Hadi Alodid, a man believed to be from Chad who is accused in a horrific knife attack in Belfast in June, will stand trial for attempted murder, a judge has ordered today.
Mr Alodid, 31, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court by video link and was addressed through an interpreter.
He has also been charged with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer and with possession of a knife.
When asked if he wanted to respond, he said ‘no’.
The vicious knife attack last June was caught on video showing “a male stabbing another man several times in the head with a knife” on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast, as shocked onlookers shouted that the attacker was trying to behead the victim.
The assailant was tackled by by three men, one armed with a hurley, who managed to beat him away. The man with the hurl, Maitiu Mág Tighearnán was praised for his courage in the aftermath of the “barbaric” attack.
The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, lost his left eye and received deep cuts to his head, face and back in the brutal attack.
At the time, Independent local councillor Paul McCusker, described the attack as “horrific and terrifying”, and told BBC that some residents witnessed the incident.
“One lady said she had to go to hospital herself because of the stress of witnessing such a brutal attack,” he said. He said “the bravery of those residents was commendable”.
“I’ve never seen an attack like this happen on the streets of north Belfast,” he added.
MP Gavin Robinson said that “Belfast has witnessed a shocking and brutal act of violence” and that the attack was “barbaric”.
“My thoughts are with the victim and their family,” the DUP MP said. “People have a right to feel safe in their community. The police should outline the facts as a matter of urgency.”
“Those responsible must face the full consequences of their actions. There can be absolutely no tolerance for such barbaric violence on our streets,” he said.
On June 10th, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the accused is believed to have travelled from Sudan to Paris before arriving in Dublin and then travelling onwards to Belfast by bus in February 2023.
He is understood to have subsequently claimed asylum and was granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom in September 2023.
The attack has also been linked to unrest in Belfast in the days that followed.
Rioting broke out across parts of the city on Tuesday night, with reports of homes, vehicles and a police car being set alight.