Man appears in court charged over Belfast knife attack

A 30-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder linked to a stabbing in north Belfast on Monday.

Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese national, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in the city faces three charges.

He is accused of attempted murder, possession of a knife and making threats to kill a hospital radiographer.

It follows the stabbing of a man in his 40s at Kinnard Avenue Belfast on Monday.

That man remains in a serious condition.

Mr Alodid refused legal representation and made no reply to charges which were put put to him through an interpreter.

He appeared via videolink at Belfast Magistrates' Court this morning.

The court heard from a PSNI detective inspector who said she believed she could connect the accused to the charges.

She told the court that police would "strongly" oppose bail.

She said the stabbing had been a very serious incident in which the victim had lost his left eye, suffered damage to his right eye, and suffered lacerations to his face and back.

The detective inspector said that while being treated for a hand injury in hospital the accused had told police: "I killed someone, I don't know if they're dead."

She said it had been an "extremely serious offence" which had attracted huge media attention and led to public disorder.

She said she believed granting bail could lead to the risk of further serious disorder.

She said Mr Alodid did not have any family ties in Northern Ireland, was not in employment and she feared he could seek to flee.

Judge Steven Keown refused bail.

He said the "risks were far too great and unmanageable with any bail conditions".

He remanded the accused in custody to appear again in four weeks.