Man charged with north Belfast stabbing denies all accusations ahead of February trial

In a Belfast Crown Court hearing, 31-year-old Hadi Alodid entered a not-guilty plea to attempted murder, illegal knife possession and a post-attack threatening conduct. The charges stem from a June 8 knife assault on Stephen Ogilvie, which left the victim without his left eye and with deep wounds to his head, face and back. Video of the incident spread widely on social media and sparked serious disorder in multiple areas of Northern Ireland, with masked groups setting fire to homes, cars and a bus while targeting individuals based on race.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland also reported intimidation of foreign-national healthcare staff. Alodid, possibly originally from Chad, was represented in the dock with his arms folded and an interpreter present. The presiding judge set the trial date for February 1, and both prosecution and defence requested a two-week window for the proceedings, hoping the case would be concluded more quickly.