A 31-year-old man from Duncairn Avenue, Belfast, has pleaded not guilty to all charges after a knife attack in north Belfast that left a man badly injured and triggered serious civil disorder across Northern Ireland.
Arraignment and charges
At an arraignment hearing at the city’s Crown Court on Friday morning, Hadi Alodid entered pleas of not guilty to the charges laid against him. He faces a principal charge of attempted murder relating to the assault on Stephen Ogilvie on 8 June, together with counts of possession of a knife and threatening behaviour linked to events in the hours following the attack.
Standing in the dock with his arms folded and assisted by an interpreter, the defendant listened as the charges were read. Answering in English, he replied:
"not guilty"
Injuries, social impact and police concerns
Prosecutors have previously outlined the severity of the victim’s injuries. Court material has said Mr Ogilvie lost his left eye and suffered deep cuts to his head, face and back. Video of the assault was circulated widely on social media and, according to police, the attack was followed by serious public disorder.
The unrest that followed involved people attacking property and targeting individuals because of their race, police say. Masked groups set fire to homes, cars and a bus. Reports at the time also detailed threats and intimidation aimed at foreign national healthcare workers in the aftermath of the incident.
Court timetable and procedure
Judge Philip Gilpin set the defendant’s trial for 1 February. Both prosecution and defence counsel asked for two weeks to be set aside for the trial but said they hoped the case could be concluded in less time.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Hadi Alodid, 31, Duncairn Avenue, Belfast |
| Main charge | Attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie (8 June) |
| Additional charges | Possession of a knife; threatening behaviour (post-attack incident) |
| Trial listed | 1 February (two-week estimate requested) |
Local consequences and community context
The case continues to resonate in Belfast because of where it occurred and the scale of the unrest that followed. The court has previously been told the rioting spread across multiple areas of Northern Ireland. Local communities remain concerned about the safety of minority groups and public-service staff following the reported intimidation of foreign national workers.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has additionally said the defendant may originally be from Chad; the comment has formed part of public reporting around the incident. At Friday’s hearing an interpreter assisted the defendant in court, reflecting language support needs in the proceedings.
The trial next February will give the full details of the prosecution’s case and provide an opportunity for the defence to answer the allegations in open court. Until then, the arraignment leaves the substantive allegations unresolved and the city awaiting a full legal determination.
- Defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts at arraignment.
- Injuries to the victim included loss of an eye and serious cuts.
- Trial set for 1 February with two weeks reserved.
