Man, 30, is charged after 'attempted beheading' in Belfast

By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:06, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 19:10, 9 June 2026 A 30 year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after the 'beheading' incident in Belfast.  The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed that he will appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, although they have not yet released his name.  PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect is believed to have travelled from Sudan to Paris, and then from Paris to Dublin before taking a bus to Belfast in February 2023 - taking advantage of the Common Travel Area.  There, he immediately claimed asylum, before he was given leave to remain in the UK in September 2023, lasting for five years.  Social media footage shows a man standing astride a bloodied victim holding a knife to his throat and his fist in the air. He starts making a sawing motion as witnesses scream: 'He's trying to cut his head off'.  Heroic bystanders then intervene, with one man hitting the suspect with a hurling stick. Police said a kitchen knife was recovered from the scene on Kinnaird Avenue, in the north of Belfast. They do not believe the attack was terror related.  Social media footage shows a man standing astride a bloodied victim holding a knife to his throat and his fist in the air  Heroic members of the public rushed forward to intervene, with one hitting the attacker with a hurling stick   Police have declared the attack a 'critical incident' and businesses are increasing security due to fear of unrest tonight.  Officers originally said the suspect was believed to be Somali, but later confirmed he is actually from Sudan. Witnesses described seeing the victim 'screaming' before he was taken away in an ambulance with his head covered in bandages.  As No10 called for calm, Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as 'sickening' and said there would be 'absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets'. He added: 'My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.