Victim’s family release statement; suspect Hadi Alodid faces court
Belfast: The family of the victim of a horrific stabbing attack in Belfast has appealed to people to reject Tuesday night’s riots in the city, amid fears that masked protesters could return to migrant communities and set fire to homes.
The family’s statement comes after police charged Sudanese asylum seeker Hadi Alodid, 30, with attempted murder following Monday night’s shocking attack that sparked a political storm over crime and immigration.
Belfast residents prepared for a new wave of protests early on Wednesday by shutting down shops and cafes, shuttering schools and leaving the city center in case anti-immigrant gangs returned to set fire to homes and vehicles.
The victim of the knife attack, Stephen Ogilvy, was taken to hospital after losing his left eye and suffering serious damage to his right eye, as well as deep cuts to his face and back.
Ogilvy’s family released a statement Wednesday, thanking onlookers who came to the suspect’s aid before police arrived to take him into custody.
“We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved ones on Kinnaird Avenue,” they said.
“This has been a huge shock to our whole family and our only priority right now is to be at his bedside and help him recover.
“We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it absolutely clear that the unrest throughout the night is not welcome and peaceful protests are the only way forward.”
“We have many immigrants who make invaluable contributions to our country, including our healthcare system and hospitality industry, and we rely on them to make our country work.
“We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or incite hostility.”
New details emerged about Alodid when he appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning (around 8pm AEST) and he was refused bail.
The court heard Alodid allegedly threatened to kill the NHS radiographer before the stabbing attack on Monday night. He will appear in court again on July 8.
Conservative politicians, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Restore leader Rupert Lowe, took advantage of the events to step up calls for a halt to immigration and the deportation of immigrants already established in the UK, turning the attack into a national debate on immigration.
They and others expressed anger that Alodid was allowed to enter the UK by traveling from Sudan to France and then flying from Paris to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland before boarding a bus to Belfast. In doing so, it took advantage of the lack of border controls on people traveling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.
Jon Boutcher, chief of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, described Tuesday night’s riots as “an act of self-harm” by those who took part because of the damage caused to the community, and said he was seeking help from other police forces to prepare for further protests.
“This confusion is an insult to the victim of this attack, an insult to the members of the public who bravely stepped forward to save his life, and an insult to the police officers who rushed to the scene,” he said.
“If you have a niece, nephew, brother, sister or a member of your local sports club who saw them in the disorder, prevent them from going out today. This needs to stop. We cannot have a society that allows this to happen.”
Police took action against some of those who took part in the riots on Tuesday night, including a 39-year-old man charged with rioting and a 42-year-old man charged with rioting, attempted criminal damage and assaulted a police officer.
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David Crowe is the European correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X or email.
