Belfast stabbing victim has significant injuries to his eyes

The victim of the Belfast knife attack had significant injuries to his eyes while his alleged attacker had leave to remain in the UK having travelled to Northern Ireland from Dublin, police said.

The suspect, a Sudanese man in his 30s who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the assault on Monday night, also left the victim with slash wounds to his face and back, police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said there was no indication the attack was terror related and pleaded for calm ahead of protests expected later.

Commenting on the immigration status of the suspect, Mr Henderson said the PSNI understood he had leave to remain in the UK.

He said it was understood the man had entered the UK across the Irish border, having travelled from Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

The PSNI has launched a “critical incident” in response to the attack which was captured on video and appears to show a man stabbing at the victim’s head and neck while he was lying on the ground.

The clip shows people, including one with a hurling stick, intervening to stop the man attacking the victim in the residential area close to the busy Antrim Road in north Belfast.

A kitchen knife was recovered from the scene, Mr Henderson said.

Police initially said they believed the suspect in custody was from Somalia but later clarified that he is Sudanese.

Mr Henderson told reporters in Belfast: “At this stage, we have no information to suggest that this was a terrorist-related incident.

“However, I must stress, I must stress, we are still at the early stages of our investigation.”

Mr Henderson said he was aware of plans for protests in Northern Ireland in response to the incident. He appealed to people to ensure the demonstrations remained peaceful.