Hero Matt McKiernan told today how he battered the Belfast knife attack suspect with his son’s hurling stick fearing for the victim’s safety.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail Mr McKiernan, 32, told how he and his friend, who only gave his name as Andre but who is trained in Brazilian jujitsu, jumped out of their car to rescue the bloodied victim on the floor.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder. Police have previously described the alleged attacker as a Sudanese man who entered the UK in 2023 and was granted leave to remain.
Mr McKiernan and his friend had stumbled across the horrifying incident by chance as they took a short-cut to a petrol station last night.
Matt, from West Belfast, had been driving, and said: ‘I turned into Kinnaird Avenue and I could see another car stopped in the middle of the road a little further up.
‘The woman driving then began reversing at speed as though she was trying to get away from something.
‘She stopped as I approached and I drove round her and as I did so we could see what looked to be two men fighting in the street, with one on top of the other.
‘This was late at night and so we thought we better go and break it up. Andre was in the front passenger seat and he jumped out first.
Hero Matt McKiernan was armed only with a wooden stick when he led a trio of members of the public to rescue the attacker’s victim from death
The young father (right) had grabbed a hurley stick – used for the Irish sport of hurling – when he arrived home after a night out to find the horror unfolding on his doorstep
Matt McKiernan (left) was armed only with a wooden stick when he led a trio of members of the public who tried to rescue the attacker’s victim from certain death
‘He’s trained in Brazilian jujitsu and so he approached them to separate them but as he got closer he saw the knife. It looked to be a serrated steak-knife but with a broken handle.
‘He shouted to me that the man attacking the other had a knife and to get something to help.
‘At this point I thought someone was going to lose their life.
‘I’d taken my son to hurling practice earlier that evening and so I’d got out of the car, gone to the boot and grabbed his hurling stick.
‘Instinct took over and I ran over and I smashed this guy over the head with the hurling stick. Right on the flat side, about three times. As hard as I could.
‘Andre was a few seconds behind and he came running in and tried to subdue the attacker with an ankle-hold so he could free the victim.
‘I hit this guy again, hard, but it didn’t seem to phase him. He did stumble back, though and dropped the knife. I think another man who’d been watching came in and kicked the knife away.
‘We were trying to roll the attacker onto his stomach to subdue him but he was struggling. The police then arrived and four officers took over before armed tactical support turned up.
‘The victim was still conscious. But he was weak with all the blood loss.
Social media footage shows a man standing astride a bloodied victim holding a knife to his throat and his fist in the air
‘When he was taken away, he looked to have a horrible injury to his eye. The knifeman was led away by six officers but they were still struggling with him.’
Mr McKiernan, who runs his own removal company and whose name is spelt Maitiu Mág Tighearnán in Irish, added: ‘I’m glad we intervened when we did. It was pure chance that we’d gone that route to the petrol station.
‘People have called us heroes but to be honest I’d like to think most people would’ve got stuck in and helped if they could. I just hope the victim pulls through and manages to recover as best he can.’
Mr Kiernan was armed only with a wooden stick when he led a trio of members of the public who tried to rescue the attacker’s victim from certain death.
The young father had grabbed a hurley stick – used for the Irish sport of hurling – when he arrived home after a night out to find the horror unfolding on his doorstep.
His partner Aoife O’Reilly expressed pride in Matt, who she described as ‘very, very humble’.
She went on: ‘I couldn’t be prouder of Matt. This is my partner and the father of my child who stood in and hopefully saved a man’s life last night.’
Matt was said to have survived his intervention without being seriously injured.
Video of the shocking incident showed Matt as he swung the stick at the migrant several times, appearing to stop the attacker from further injuring his victim.
Matt was supported by two other men in his efforts.
He wrote online that he had stumbled on the attack ‘by chance’ and that he ‘got out to protect a young lad’ when he saw what was happening and that the police had yet to arrive.
The hero’s identity came to light as police said a Sudanese asylum seeker had been charged over the attack.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect is believed to have travelled from Sudan to Paris, and then from Paris to Dublin before taking a bus to Belfast in February 2023 – taking advantage of the Common Travel Area.
There, he immediately claimed asylum, before he was given leave to remain in the UK in September 2023, lasting for five years.
The suspect had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the horrific attack at 10.30pm last night, which left a man in his 40s in a critical condition with ‘significant’ eye injuries and wounds to his face, neck and back.
He has now been charged.
Social media footage sowed how heroic bystanders could be seen intervening, including Mr McKiernan, to bring the incident to an end.
Witnesses described seeing the victim ‘screaming’ before he was taken away in an ambulance with his head covered in bandages.
Police said a kitchen knife was recovered from the scene on Kinnaird Avenue, in the north of Belfast. They do not believe the attack was terror related.
Earlier today Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch called for the Government to release more information about the attacker’s identity and immigration status, with the Reform UK leader saying leave-to-remain status was being handed out ‘like Smarties’.
Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as ‘sickening’ and said there would be ‘absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets’.
He added: ‘My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.’
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn praised onlookers who intervened to stop the attacker.
He said: ‘Amidst the horror of what happened we also saw something extraordinary.
‘When confronted with scenes of terrible violence, members of the public did not walk on by. Instead a number of them stepped forward and at immense risk to their own safety they intervened to pull the assailant away and protect the victim until police arrived.
‘You showed the very best of humanity and you have the profound gratitude of the entire house.’
First Minister Michelle O’Neill also hit out against claims Northern Ireland is operating an ‘open borders’ immigration system.
‘I don’t know any country that has open borders,’ she said.
‘I believe in an immigration system that is fair and managed and enforceable and compassionate and human rights compliant, but that is not the debate for today.
‘The debate today is about our society, about our inclusive society, our welcoming society. Our conversation today is about our thoughts are very much with that gentleman who finds himself as a victim of that violent and horrific attack last night.
‘Our thoughts today are about creating calm in our society.’
Her comments came as anti-immigration activists called for mass protests in Belfast this evening, prompting fears of widespread disorder.
Some posts online called for men over 18 to attend, wear dark clothing and ‘be prepared to fight or be arrested’.
Chief Constable Boutcher has urged people to let ‘the police do their job unfettered and undistracted’.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police, quoting reference number 1654 08/06/26.
