Man Denies North Belfast Attempted Murder Charge as Trial Date Set

A 31-year-old man is set to stand trial early next year following an appearance at Belfast Crown Court, where he formally denied charges including the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie.

The accused, named in court as Alodid and with an address at Duncairn Avenue in North Belfast, appeared in the dock on Friday accompanied by an Arabic interpreter. He confirmed his identity before entering not guilty pleas to three offences connected to incidents reported in the local area in June.

The court previously heard details of the severe injuries sustained by Mr Ogilvie, who lost his left eye and suffered deep cuts to his head, face, and back. Alodid pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Mr Ogilvie on June 8, 2026.

He also denied a second charge of possessing a knife in the vicinity of Kinnaird Close on the same date. A third charge, alleging that he behaved in a threatening and abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person fear or alarm on June 9, 2026, was also met with a not guilty plea.

Defence barrister Richard McConkey KC informed Judge Philip Gilpin that discussions are ongoing in the hope of agreeing on certain witnesses ahead of the hearing. Crown counsel estimated that the full trial will take approximately two weeks to complete.

Judge Gilpin scheduled the trial to commence on February 1, 2027, noting that the case will be reviewed in court on several occasions prior to that date. Addressing the defendant, the judge emphasised the importance of maintaining close contact with his legal representatives to ensure proper preparation for the trial.

The case has been listed for a review mention on December 4, which the defendant will not need to attend in person. Following the conclusion of Friday's hearing, Alodid was remanded back into custody.