Man due in court over Belfast knife attack following night of violence

Vehicles set on fire by protesters on Lendrick Street in Belfast, as disorder flared in response to Monday night’s stabbing attack in the city (PA)

A man is set to appear in court charged with attempted murder over a stabbing attack following a night of violence in Belfast.

Some people were forced to flee their homes, and multiple cars and homes were set alight in the disorder on Tuesday, which followed Monday’s knife attack in the north of the city.

The 30-year-old accused, who is Sudanese, is also charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill.

He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.

Following widespread condemnation of the incident, anti-immigration demonstrations took place across Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening, with a number descending into disorder.

A Glider bus was set alight in East Belfast, prompting all bus and train services to be suspended.

In Lendrick Street in Belfast, several cars were set alight, and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service officers had to remove some residents from houses after they caught fire.

A number of houses and vehicles were set on fire near the Ligoniel Road area of Belfast, and a police car was set alight in Portadown.

An NIFRS spokesperson said it had been a “busy evening responding to a high volume of fire calls”.

The spokesperson added: “Between 7pm and midnight our Regional Control Centre have managed 256 calls resulting in attendance at 62 incidents.

“The majority of these incidents were in the Greater Belfast Area where an additional 21 fire appliances from across Northern Ireland were required to meet demand.”

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said officers had worked alongside partner agencies “responding to incidents as they arise and helping to keep people safe”.

Political leaders criticised Tuesday night’s violent scenes.

'Someone could have lost their life in a house fire'

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill condemned the “outright thuggery”.

She said: “Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice.”

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “Taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”

South Belfast MLA Deirdre Hargey has expressed disgust at the violent incidents in Belfast on Tuesday night when people were forced to flee their homes, and multiple cars and homes were set alight following Monday’s knife attack in the north of the city.

Her first thought at learning of the incidents had been “absolute disgust”, she said when speaking on Newstalk Breakfast and RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

“We witnessed shameful things last night which have no place on our streets. And I believe the vast majority of people do not want to see this. And when you see family homes burnt to the ground, when you see masked men and mobs of them marching down the street and trying to identify minority ethnic households, it's reminiscent of the pogroms that took place in Belfast in 1969, in which Catholic homes were targeted in the same way.

“It's a reminder for all that none of us wants to go back to those times and we all must do what we can in order to stop this violence that's taken place and to say that it has no place on our streets or in our society.” 

Ms Hargey agreed with comments made by local pastor Jack McKee, who earlier told Morning Ireland that black people’s homes were being targeted. 

“You can see that from the videos and what they were shouting in terms of no immigrants here. This was the language. They were going along streets.

“They were completely masked up. Some of them were armed. They broke into houses. They broke windows. And they actually set the insides of the homes on fire. So as we awake this morning, we can still smell the smoulder and smoke of homes that have been completely torched and can't be lived in.

“What we have also witnessed on our TV screens and on social media are young children, women, and older people who had to flee their homes, some of them in the back of police Land Rovers in the darkness of night, where hotels and other accommodation had to be stood up in order to house people.

“I think these are shameful scenes of disorder and lawlessness that we witnessed in parts of Belfast last night. And I think those responsible need to be held to account.” 

Those involved had been “stoked” into action deliberately by far-right agitators on social media, she said. “Faceless accounts” had called people out onto the streets.

“It was a minority in terms of the overall population, and I think that needs to be said. But it's a minority mob that can do serious damage and could have actually killed someone last night. Someone could have lost their life in a house fire. They might not have been able to escape. We're now seeing multiple victims this morning because of this hate that spread on our streets last night.

“There is no excuse for this behaviour because what those people did last night who try to say that they're protecting communities, they put communities at harm. They damaged communities.

“They forced children, young children, having to flee as mobs stood on masked up as their homes were set on fire. And they had to escape in the back of a police Land Rover in order to get to safety. And I think most people would see that as shameful and that there is no excuse for that whatsoever.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said: “The scenes of disorder we have witnessed in some parts of Northern Ireland this evening are only damaging communities and putting innocent lives at risk.

“There is no justification at all for this type of destruction and thuggery.”

The victim of Monday’s knife attack, a man aged in his 40s, remains in a serious condition in hospital, receiving treatment for serious eye, face and back wounds.

A police cordon at the scene of a stabbing outside apartments in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

Detectives have said there is no indication that Monday’s knife attack was terror-related.

The PSNI has launched a “critical incident” in response to the incident, which was captured on video and appears to show a man stabbing at the victim’s head and neck while he was lying on the ground.

The clip shows people, including one with a hurley, intervening to stop the man attacking the victim in the Kinnaird Avenue residential area close to the busy Antrim Road in north Belfast.

A kitchen knife was recovered from the scene.

Police revealed details on the arrested man’s immigration status and how he travelled to the UK.

He entered Northern Ireland across the Irish border in February 2023, having flown to Dublin from Paris.

The suspect claimed asylum upon arrival and, in September 2023, was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.