The family of the victim of the horrific knife attack in Belfast have issued an update on his condition and urged violence across the city to stop saying they are “feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder
The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who was injured in the horrific knife attack in Belfast on Monday, have given a major update on his condition as unrest continues to unfold across the city.
His family said through police that they have witnessed a lot of false information circulating on social media.
They added: “It is now forcing us to clarify that our loved one is in fact in a stable condition, and we are solely focused on his recovery at this time,” they said in a statement distributed by the PSNI.
The family added: “We are also appealing to the media and the public to please give us some space. We need privacy to focus on our family right now, without cameras or people speculating about what happened via social media.”
The family also said the sharing of false information on social media is “deeply distressing” and should stop.
They urged the violence to stop, saying they had been left “feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder.
Stephen Ogilvie, 44, was said to have lost an eye as a result of the attack on Monday evening in north Belfast.
Sudanese man Hadi Alodid, 30, has appeared in court charged over the attack.
In an earlier update through police the family of Stephen Ogilvie confirmed that he had lost an eye in the attack as they condemned the action of protestors across Belfast.
On Tuesday evening protestors took to the city, throwing petrol bombs into houses and setting vehicles alight, including a Gilder bus.
Families were evacuated from their homes as the city was engulfed by flames. Demonstrators have taken to the streets again on Wednesday evening, causing further disorder.
Ganged protestors took to Antrim Road, where they could be seen tearing bricks from properties and smashing paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles to throw at riot police.
Alongside the riots in Belfast, several demonstrators have gathered across the UK, following the stabbing attack on Monday.
Stephen Ogilvie’s family said in an earlier statement: “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 have witnessed a lot of false information circulating on social media which is now forcing us to clarify that our loved one is in fact in a stable condition, and we are solely focused on his recovery at this time.“We are also appealing to the media and the public to please give us some space. We need privacy to focus on our family right now, without cameras or people speculating about what happened via social media.“We have been left feeling disgusted by the scenes that unfolded yesterday across Northern Ireland in the wake of what happened. We want to make it absolutely clear that to do this in response is not supported by our family, and peaceful protest is only ever the way forward. We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including from within 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 – do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values.“We also wish 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.“If you know anything at all about the attack, or saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, please go to the police and stop sharing false information on social media, as it is deeply distressing.“Thank you for respecting our privacy.”
