The devastated family of the man who was attacked by the Belfast suspect have called for calm after violence broke out in the city last night.
Stephen Ogilvie, in his 40s, is currently in hospital with serious injuries after losing his left eye during the assault on Monday night.
Sudanese asylum seeker Hadi Alodid, 30, has since been charged with attempted murder and possession of a knife, as well as a separate charge of making threats to kill an NHS radiographer.
In the family’s first statement, provided to local politicians, the Ogilvies said they were ‘completely devastated by the horrific attack’ and thanked the brave bystanders who intervened.
They also said that ‘peaceful protest is the only way forward’ condemning the ‘overnight unrest’ which saw houses, cars, a bus and a supermarket set alight.
Online speculation suggested that some of the rioters had been seeking out ‘taxpayer-funded’ asylum accommodation. It is not clear, however, if any were attacked.
The Ogilvie family added in their statement: ‘This has been a massive shock to our whole family, and right now, our only priority is being at his bedside and helping him recover.
Stephen Ogilvie was named locally as the victim of Monday night’s attack
Hadi Alodid has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a knife, as well as a separate charge of making threats to kill an NHS radiographer
A picture of Lendrick Street in east Belfast as it was engulfed in flames
‘We want to say a profound thank you to the local people who bravely stepped in during the attack.
‘Your quick actions absolutely saved his life and we will never forget what you did for him in that moment. We also want to thank the emergency services and the doctors and nurses looking after him.
‘We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward.
‘We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work. We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.’
Mr Ogilvie is understood to be originally from Scotland and had been living in the same block of flats as his Sudanese-born attacker.
One woman told the Daily Mail last night: ‘He’s a vulnerable person, apparently. He lives in the same flats as the man who attacked him.
‘There’s a lot of information swirling around as to what happened. Nobody knows for sure why Stephen was attacked.’
The family went on to ask for privacy and asked any witnesses to make a report with the police.
It comes as Alodid made his first appearance at Belfast Magistrates’ Court this morning.
The suspect, who lived in the same block of flats as Mr Ogilvie, appeared via video link and was remanded in custody for four weeks. He refused a lawyer and made no reply to the charges, which were put to him through an Arabic interpreter.
The suspect appearing in court via videolink today
Hundreds of masked men defied government ministers’ calls for calm to take to the streets
The court heard that following the attack Alodid said ‘I’ve killed someone, I don’t know if they are dead’ while in hospital receiving treatment for a hand injury before telling a medic: ‘I will kill you’, a detective told Belfast Magistrates’ Court.
Alodid was refused bail after the detective told of his ‘unpredictable’ nature and fears his release would lead to ‘significant public disorder’ due to ‘strong public feeling’ about the incident.
District Judge Stephen Keown refused bail, saying that the risks were ‘far too great’ and would be ‘unmanageable by any bail conditions’. He is next due to appear in court in four weeks’ time.
Following the attack the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) revealed details on Alodid’s immigration status and how he travelled to the UK.
The suspect had entered Northern Ireland across the Irish border in February 2023 having flown to Dublin from Paris.
Alodid then claimed asylum upon arrival and in September 2023 was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
Despite police’s calls for calm, just before 8pm protesters took to the streets following calls on social media for action.
Burnt-out cars and houses pictured this morning on Lendrick Street
Dozens of masked men dressed in black pushed burning bins up against a bus, setting it ablaze and sending thick smoke into the sky. Houses and cars were also later set alight alongside a Middle Eastern supermarket.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, condemned the ‘outright thuggery’, saying that ‘groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice’.
Sir Keir Starmer said the disorder in Belfast was ‘shocking and completely unacceptable’, adding: ‘It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it.’
‘There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere,’ he wrote on X. ‘It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it. Those responsible will feel the full force of the law.’
