Northern Ireland: Police urge calm after 'sickening' Belfast stabbing
Belfast police appealed for calm after a violent knife attack caught on videophone prompted calls for anti-immigration protests. This followed a week of migration-related riots
Belfast police appealed for calm after a violent knife attack caught on videophone prompted calls for anti-immigration protests. This followed a week of migration-related riots last June in Northern Ireland. Police in Northern Ireland said they had arrested a Sudanese national over a knife attack that left one person with serious wounds and is currently being treated as attempted murder but not a suspected act of terrorism. They also called for calm from the public amid calls from far-right figures for anti-migration protests, a year after a week of rioting shook Northern Ireland following the alleged attempted rape of a schoolgirl. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said he shared 'the public’s revulsion over the brutal nature of this attack' Image: Liam McBurney/PA Images/picture alliance What did police say about the crime? Northern Ireland's Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson declared Monday night's crime a "critical incident" but said investigators had found no indications of a terrorist motive as yet. "I understand that last night's attempted murder will leave people feeling a range of emotions, from fear to anger," Henderson told a press conference. "I appeal for calm and the safety of all of our communities in response to this." The victim, a man in his 40s, suffered severe injuries to his eyes and slash wounds to his face and back in the attack involving a kitchen knife, Henderson said.
Footage of the crime circulating online showed a number of members of the public stepping in before police arrived on the scene as the suspect, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, continued attacking the victim after he had fallen to the ground. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, Henderson said. He said that based on preliminary information the man lived locally, having been granted leave to remain in the area after moving there from Dublin south of the inner-Irish border. "He is in custody and at this time we not seeking anyone else in connection with this investigation," Henderson said. Belfast police arrived on the scene within minutes of the emergency call, Henderson said Image: Peter Morrison/AP Photo/picture alliance How did Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other politicians react? UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as sickening and thanked members of the public for stepping in to try to help. "The horrific attack in Belfast last night is sickening," he wrote online. "I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets. My thougts are first and foremost with the victim, and I think the first responders, including members of the public who intervened." Northern Ireland's main political leaders issued a joint statement condemning the attack, calling it "horrific," and urging calm while police investigate.
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