The police have charged a man with attempted murder after the stabbing in north Belfast left a man with horrific injuries. The knife attack led to anti-immigration protests in the capital of Northern Ireland, and a bus was burned as per multiple reports.
Amid the unrest UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged calm. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said in a statement “Detectives investigating a knife attack in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast on Monday 8th June have charged a 30 year old man with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and threats to kill.”
“He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 10th June. As is normal procedure all charges are reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service,” they added, as per reports.
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The attack on Monday night drew widespread condemnation and now Belfast is on the boil, as videos have shown. Amid this, here’s all you need to know about the attacker.
Belfast knife attack: 5 things to know about attacker
- The attacker was identified to be Sudanese, though an initial report had claimed he was Somali. The man is believed to be in his 30s, and his name has not been released yet.
- The individual is believed to have made his way from Sudan to Paris, before taking a flight to Dublin, BBC reported the local police chief say. He then travelled to Belfast by bus on February 10, 2023.
- The attacker had claimed asylum in Belfast on the same day, as per the cops.
- Cops noted that investigation was at early stages but said ‘at this stage we have no information to suggest this was a terrorist-related incident’. Thus the attacker is not believed to have any terrorist links at this point, as per the cops.
- The attacker was reportedly on leave to remain in the UK till 2028. “The individual claims to have entered the UK via the Common Travel Area,” as per a spokesperson, the BBC reported.
Belfast knife attack: Victim update
The victim, in his 40s, remains in the hospital. The individual’s name has not been made public yet either, as it is an ongoing investigation.
The victim is reportedly a local man and suffered grave injuries to his eyes. He also has slash wounds to his face, neck, and back. A chilling video of the attack also surfaced online. You can see it here.