Belfast stabbing victim's family speak out from his bedside as he 'loses eye'

Belfast stabbing victim's family speak out from his bedside as he 'loses eye' A court has heard Stephen Ogilvie, who is in his 40s, has lost an eye as suspect Hadi Alodid was charged with attempted murder The family of Stephen Ogilvie, the man who lost an eye and suffered grievous injuries in a knife attack in Belfast, have spoken out after a night of violence left the city on fire. Cars, houses and a bus were set alight by gangs of masked demonstrators as thugs chanted "foreigners out" while kicking in doors and breaking windows. A two-month-old baby was among those rescued by police as the mob set fires and smashed properties in scenes of terrifying street violence. The violence was sparked after gruesome footage of the attack on Stephen Ogilvie in Kinnaird Avenue, north Belfast at around 10.30pm on Monday was shared online. Suspect Hadi Alodid, 30, a Sudanese national, was arrested and appeared in court this morning charged with attempting to murder Stephen Ogilvie, threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife. In a statement issued this morning Mr Ogilvie’s family said: “We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue. 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. "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.” The family also asked for privacy to focus on their family free from cameras or people speculating about the incident. They also appealed for anyone with information about the attack, or who saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, to go to the police.